Red dot sights come in many different shapes and sizes…
You have micro red dots, holographic sights, larger red dot sights, and many other different styles…
Every style has its pros and cons, but one of the tried and true options at this point is the larger red dot sight.
And right now, I think two of the best larger red dot sights on the market are:
- The Trijicon MRO Patrol (Check Price On Amazon – Over 15 Reviews)
- The Aimpoint Pro Patrol Rifle Optic (Check Price On Amazon – Over 540 Reviews)
These two sights are natural competitors… They actually have a lot in common (including similar names), but they also have some key differences…
And in this article, we’re going to compare these two optics by covering the following information:
- Toughness And Durability
- Size Comparison
- Battery Life Comparison
- Reticle And Lens Clarity
- Extra Accessories Included With Each Sight
- Pricing Comparison
In the end, I’ll give my final thoughts about each optic, and I’ll reveal which of these two fantastic red dot sights I prefer…
So enough talking, let’s get into the Trijicon MRO Patrol vs Aimpoint Pro comparison!
Toughness And Durability…
MRO Patrol…
Trijicon optics are known for their durability…
For example, the US military has been using Trijicon ACOGs for a few years now, and their reputation for ruggedness and dependability has been well proven.
The same kind of quality goes into the MRO Patrol. Its sight housing is made from forged 7075 aircraft-grade aluminum…
It’s also hard anodized and has the trademark Trijicon finish that weirdly seems like a rubberish and metallic coating at the same time.
In addition to that, the windage and elevation turrets are recessed into the sight housing…
They can never be knocked accidentally and snap off which is something that can happen with some other red dot sights.
To adjust the elevation or windage you can use a screwdriver or the rim of a cartridge, and each click will move the reticle 0.5 MOA until you get it perfectly zeroed.
Last, the MRO Patrol is waterproof up to 100 feet… So rainy, wet, or snowy conditions will never cause it to have any problems.
Aimpoint Pro…
Like Trijicons optics, Aimpoints are known for their durability, and they’ve been used within the US military and in law enforcement.
In fact, the Aimpoint Pro Patrol was designed to be used by law enforcement officers on their patrol rifles, shotguns, and pistol caliber carbines.
The sight housing is a high-strength aluminum, and the windage and elevation turrets sit relatively low.
Like the MRO Patrol, they can be adjusted with a screwdriver or the rim of a cartridge, and they move the reticle 0.5 MOA each click (which I think is perfect for a red dot).
The Aimpoint Pro is rated as being waterproof up 150 feet… So just like the MRO Patrol, it can handle any wet or rainy conditions without any problems.
Toughness And Durability Conclusions…
Both the MRO Patrol and the Aimpoint Pro are extremely durable red dots…
Honestly, these are two of the toughest sights on the market in my opinion, but that being said, they do have some differences.
I like that the MRO Patrol has windage and elevation turrets that are recessed into the sight housing.
To me, they’re just more durable than the turrets on the Aimpoint Pro, which even though they sit relatively low, stick out a little bit.
On the other hand, the Aimpoint Pro is waterproof up to 150 feet, which is 50 feet more than the MRO Patrol.
This really won’t come into play unless you intend to go scuba diving with your optic, but I think it’s important to note that difference.
Despite that, I’m going to give a very slight edge to the MRO Patrol in the durability category.
Winner: MRO Patrol
Size Comparison…
The MRO Patrol weighs 5.1 ounces and is 4.1 inches long… The Aimpoint Pro is 7.8 ounces and 4.5 inches long.
Obviously, the MRO Patrol is quite a bit lighter than the Aimpoint Pro, which is an important factor for me because I’m always trying to keep the weight down on my guns…
It’s also just a little bit shorter and therefore, more compact… So in the end, the MRO Patrol is the clear winner in the size and weight category.
Winner: MRO Patrol
Battery Life Comparison…
MRO Patrol…
The MRO Patrol runs off of one CR2032 battery. It has 2 night vision brightness settings, 5 daylight settings, and one extra-bright setting.
When you’re running it on setting 3, which is plenty bright for my needs (and I live in the Nevada desert) the battery will last for 5 years.
Aimpoint Pro…
The Aimpoint Pro runs off of one 2L76 3V lithium battery. It has 4 night vision brightness settings, 6 daylight settings, and one extra-bright setting.
Its battery will last for 3 to 5 years depending on the setting you leave it on.
Battery Life Conclusions…
I don’t think the battery type is a problem for either one of these sights because both battery types are easy to get and relatively small.
I also think the battery life between these two is basically the same. Both of them can be left on for years and still be ready to go, which I think is an important feature on a red dot sight.
The Aimpoint Pro does have more brightness settings available to you as the shooter, and because of that, I’m going to give it the slight edge in the battery life comparison.
Winner: Aimpoint Pro
Reticle And Lens Clarity…
MRO Patrol…
Trijicon puts multiple coatings on the lens of the MRO Patrol to ensure that it’s extremely strong. These coatings cause a sort of blue tint when you look through the sight.
Some people claim that the blue tint allows you to see through the sight with better contrast…
Personally, I would prefer the glass to be more clear, but I don’t think the slight blue tint is a dealbreaker.
In addition to that, the Trijicon MRO lens diameter is 25mm…
So it’s big and allows you to have a huge field of view when you’re looking through the optic (one of the advantages of having a larger red dot).
And the reticle on the MRO Patrol is a simple 2 MOA red dot, which I think is a great reticle for a red dot sight.
At the time I’m writing this, there is no green dot option available for the MRO Patrol, which is not a problem for me because I prefer red.
Aimpoint Pro…
The Aimpoint Pro Patrol also has multiple coatings that strengthen the lens, but the coatings that Aimpoint uses add clarity to your sight picture and make the lens crystal clear.
Like I mentioned before, I prefer when a red dot sight has a clear lens as opposed to a lens that’s tinted blue or green. So I’m really happy with the lens clarity on the Aimpoint.
In addition to that, the objective lens on the Aimpoint Pro is 38 mm… which again, allows you to have a HUGE field of view when you’re acquiring a sight picture through the optic.
The reticle is a 2 MOA red dot just like the MRO Patrol, and there is no green dot option available for the Aimpoint Pro at this time.
Reticle And Lens Clarity Conclusions…
Both sights have the 2 MOA red dot reticle, which for me is perfect…
I’m a big fan of the 2 MOA dot reticle because your eye can pick up the dot quickly, but at the same time, it’s small enough to aim with precision at targets in the distance.
That said, there are 2 major differences between the two sights in this category…
First, the Aimpoint Pro has a 38mm objective lens versus the 25mm objective lens on the MRO Patrol…
Both are large and give great field of view, but the Aimpoint is a little bit bigger… Second, you get the blue tint with the MRO Patrol lens versus the clear lens on AimPoint Pro.
Like I mentioned before, I prefer a clear lens… So for me, the Aimpoint Pro takes the lead in this category.
Winner: Aimpoint Pro
Extras Accessories Included With The Optic…
MRO Patrol…
The MRO Patrol comes with lens caps that flip open, and both the front and rear lens cap are blacked out (this will matter in the comparison).
In addition to that, it comes with a kill flash which can be used to hide the reflection on the front lens of a red dot sight and for other uses as well.
Finally, you can opt to include either a lower 1/3 co-witness or an absolute co-witness quick detach mount when you buy the sight.
I prefer an absolute co-witness with backup iron sights on all my battery-powered optics, but there are some shooters who prefer the lower 1/3 co-witness.
You can also buy this optic without a mount and the price will be slightly lower, but to be able to use it you will eventually need to get a mount.
I recommend just getting the mount included because it is high quality, and like I mentioned before, its a quick detach mount.
Aimpoint Pro…
The Aimpoint Pro Patrol comes with flip-open lens caps as well. However, the rear lens cap is clear which is an important little detail included by Aimpoint…
The reason why is because in an emergency you can take aim at a target with the lens caps down…
…and if you’re shooting with both eyes opened, your dot (the reticle) will still appear over the target.
There are some very old-fashioned optics that work in this way, and I really think it’s cool that Aimpoint includes that concept in their lens caps.
The Aimpoint Pro does not come with a kill flash like the MRO Patrol, but it does come with a threaded front lens area which allows you to add a kill flash if you’d like to.
Last, the mount included with the Aimpoint Pro is called the QRP2 mount.
Unlike the MRO Patrol mount, it’s not an add-on item. It’s included in the whole package, and it’s actually a pretty high-quality mount…
It’s also quick detach and sets the sight up for an absolute co-witness with backup iron sights if you’re running it on an AR-15.
Extra Accessories Conclusions…
This is a tough one because both sights come with some pretty cool goodies… I like that the MRO Patrol comes with a kill flash which sets it apart from the Aimpoint Pro.
However, I really like the clear lens cap that comes with the Aimpoint, and I think the fact that the QRP2 mount is not an add-on item is a bonus.
That said it’s not really a big deal to include the MRO Patrol mount when you buy it, and as I mentioned before, it is pretty high quality.
So because both optics have unique accessories included that kind of offset each other, I’m going to call this one a draw.
Winner: Draw
Pricing Comparison…
Both of these red dots are premium optics that come in at a fairly reasonable price…
I can’t get into exact numbers in this review because prices are changing all the time when it comes to sights like these…
…but just know that the Aimpoint Pro is around $100 to $150 less expensive than the MRO Patrol. So the clear winner in terms of price is the Aimpoint Pro Patrol.
Winner: Aimpoint Pro
Trijicon MRO Patrol vs Aimpoint Pro – Conclusions…
In the end, I think both of these sights are awesome… and really the right one for you depends on what features are most important to you…
So which of these optics do I prefer? I prefer the Aimpoint Pro…
I prefer the Aimpoint Pro because it’s an extremely durable optic that’s very unlikely to fail on you…
It also has a much clearer lens than the Trijicon MRO, which allows you to see better through the sight…
…and we can’t forget that it’s the less expensive option, so it will save you around 100 to 150 bucks or more.
Now if you want something that’s pretty compact, super durable, and comes with a kill flash… And you don’t mind a slight blue tint on the lens, go with the MRO Patrol because it’s still a great sight…
You can’t really go wrong with either optic because they both offer you very high performance and extreme durability…
Either way you choose to go, I hope I was able to help you understand the major differences between these two great sights!