| Trijicon MRO | Aimpoint PRO |
|---|---|
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Both Trijicon MRO (Miniature Rifle Optic) and Aimpoint PRO (Patrol Rifle Optic) are duty, battle-proven red dot sights. Their price are in the same ballpark, and both have great reputations, causing a lot of people to wonder which optic should one get.
In this article, I’ll help you spot the differences between these 2 optics, so that you can make an informed decision and don’t end up disappointed, saying “I should have known”.
Quick summary
Trijicon MRO has crisper and brighter red dot compared to Aimpoint PRO. MRO’s brightness control is better for left handed people as the buttons are located on top of the optic. And the MRO is lighter and more compact.
However, even though both optics have nice battle-proven track record, Aimpoint PRO has less failure rate between the two in terms of durability.
If you’re looking for reliability, go for the Aimpoint PRO. If you’re ok with less durability and want more compact red dot, MRO is the better option.
Trijicon is an American company based in Wixom, Michigan. It specializes in self-luminous optics and night sights, mainly using the low-energy radioactive isotope tritium, light-gathering fiber optics, and batteries. Trijicon brand is a contractor for US military and supplies the Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) and RX01 reflex sights.
Aimpoint AB is a Swedish optics company manufacturing red dot sights for civilian, police and military use. Aimpoint red dot sights are currently used by numerous armed forces around the world, including the US military.
Table of Contents
PROS and CONS breakdown
| Trijicon MRO | Aimpoint PRO | |
|---|---|---|
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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Optics Showdown : MRO VS PRO
MRO : More fishbowl effect, Crisper dot, Bigger FOV glass
| Trijicon MRO | Aimpoint PRO | |
|---|---|---|
| Reticle Type |
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2 MOA red dot |
| Brightness Settings | 8 brightness settings, lowest 2 NV compatible | 10 brightness settings, lowest 4 NV compatible |
Comparing head to head, I found that both the Aimpoint PRO and the Trijicon MRO have slight blue tint on their glass. Trijicon MRO has slight fishbowl effect compared to the Aimpoint PRO. On Trijicon’s website, it is stated that the older MRO (Serial number < 89,000) is 1.05x magnified. Later ones are adjusted to true 1x or no magnification. To sum up, newer MRO should have no fishbowl effect like the Aimpoint PRO.
MRO’s field of view is slightly bigger. Furthermore, MRO’s dot is slightly crisper and brighter on its highest settings. Note that both the Aimpoint PRO and Trijicon MRO dots can easily be seen in daylight bright, desert or snowy background.
For Aimpoint PRO you need to use 7-8 brightness on most outdoor conditions and 8-10 on bright sunny days.
MRO : Ambidextrous brightness control, PRO : Harder to operate with left hand
Trijicon MRO’s brightness control is ambidextrous because its rotary dial control is located on top of the optics making it easy to navigate with any hand. Plus there’s a mid “OFF” position between brightness level 2 and 3 making it easier to turn off.
Easier turning on/off might not matter much for most people because we can leave both optics on for a very long period of time. That said, people who don’t leave their red dot sights on could appreciate this feature.
Brightness Control and Battery Compartment of the Aimpoint PRO are located on the right hand side of the optic, which are harder for you to adjust if you’re left-handed.
Trijicon MRO has significantly longer battery life
Super reliable batteries, “always on” battery or motion-activated feature are critical for home defense and occupational optics. The failure of your red dot could spell disaster for you, your family or your team.
| Trijicon MRO | Aimpoint PRO | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery type | CR2032 | 3V lithium battery, type 2L76 or DL1/3N |
| Battery Life (Settings of 3 and 7 are equivalent brightness for Trijicon and Aimpoint respectively) | 5 years on setting 3 | 3 years on setting 7 |
| Always On battery | Yes | Yes |
Both optics can left turned on as since their battery life are long enough. Trijicon MRO has the better battery life. And CR2032 battery for Trijicon MRO is also easier to find.
Both optics come with mount, flip lens covers are included with PRO
Aimpoint PRO comes with a QRP2 rail grabber mount which can be used on a Picatinny rail. Once mounted, turn the knob until it clicks 3 times and you’re good to go. It has torque-limiting twist features which gives optimal level of pressure and will not deform the rail.
Mount height is easy to 1/3 co-witness on an AR platform, and you can remove the spacer and lower the unit for absolute co-witness.
Even though reliable, the mount is a bit heavy. And another thing to complain for the factory mount is a big protruding knob that could be annoying. That said, it doesn’t affect performance. Plus, you can buy a quality 3rd party mount afterwards if you don’t like the included mount.
Flip covers for both rear and front glass are already included with the Aimpoint PRO, helping protect your red dot glass from external environment. Front cap is opaque while the rear cap is transparent.
Trijicon MRO has a number of factory mounts you can choose from, which are
- Low Mount
- Full Co-Witness Mount
- Lower 1/3 Co-Witness Mount
- Low Levered Quick Release Mount
- Full Co-Witness Levered Quick Release Mount
- Lower 1/3 Co-Witness Levered Quick Release Mount
- No mount
Included mount is ok quality, and there are tons of 3rd party mounts available. No lens cover is included with the Trijicon MRO.
Aimpoint PRO has less parallax error
Reflex sights are known for their ability to mitigate parallax errors, making it ideal for shots with of angle or very fast draw and target acquisition.
Both red dot parallax error are relatively small and you can make decent shots without a perfect cheek weld.
A test conducted by Greeneye tactical reveals that Aimpoint PRO has significantly smaller parallax error compared to Tijicon MRO.
If you’re serious about parallax error, consider getting a holographic sight as it will give you least parallax error due to different underlying technology.
Trijicon : Lighter and more compact
| Trijicon MRO | Aimpoint PRO | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight without mount (oz) | 4.1 | 7.8 |
| Length (Inch) | 2.6 | 4.5 |
| Objective lens (mm) | 25 | 23 |
Trijicon MRO is lighter and more compact, with larger viewing glass. If weight is your concern, the MRO is the way to go.
Military grade durability, Decent warranty
Durability is where Aimpoint really shines. Even though Trijicon MRO is a durable and military-grade optic, Aimpoint PRO is more proven and has better track record.
I personally have a great run both optics and have no durability issues. That said, the number of failure rate for the Trijicon MRO is higher than the Aimpoint PRO. Thus, for superb reliability, I vote for the Aimpoint PRO.
Plus, Aimpoint offers better warranty for civilian use. Aimpoint’s warranty is 10 years for commercial use, 2 years for professional use. While the Trijicon MRO has only 5 years warranty.
Admittedly, the best warranties are the ones that you *don’t* ever have to use them. And you can count on Trijicon and Aimpoint products to fall into that category.
Pretty much the same price
Price fluctuates due to demand and supply. But at the time of this writing :
- MRO – $440
- PRO – $437
Pretty much the same price for both optics.
Conclusion
| Trijicon MRO | Aimpoint PRO | |
|---|---|---|
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| Dot, Glass and Lens Coating | Dot slightly crisper and brighter | Dot slightly less sharp and dimmer |
| Reticle Options |
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2 MOA red dot |
| Brightness Settings | 8 brightness settings, 2 being night vision compatible | 10 brightness settings, 4 being night vision compatible |
| Battery Type | CR2032 | 3V lithium battery, type 2L76 or DL1/3N |
| Battery Life | 5 years on setting 3 | 3 years on setting 7 |
| Night vision compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Mount included | Yes | Yes |
| Lens covers included | No | Yes |
| Weight (oz, without mount) | 4.1 | 7.8 |
| Price | On par | On par |
| Durability | Higher failure rate | Better |
| Warranty | 5 years | 10 years for civilian use, 2 years for professional use |
Trijicon MRO has crisper and brighter red dot compared to Aimpoint PRO. MRO’s brightness control is better for left handed people as the buttons are located on top of the optic. And the MRO is lighter and more compact.
However, even though both optics have nice battle-proven track record, Aimpoint PRO has less failure rate between the two in terms of durability.
If you’re looking for reliability, go for the Aimpoint PRO. If you’re ok with less durability and want more compact red dot, MRO is the better option.
