Zero Hawk EM1: A New Contender?
- Graham Baates
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
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I, as well as several other channels, was recently approached by a new brand of optic. Like so many others that show up in my inbox it's a Chinese-made handgun optic company selling on Amazon. That used to mean it was "toy" grade at best, but in the last couple of years we've seen serious efforts to create optics truly worthy of being on a handgun from some of those companies and so I've been more open to receiving one to try out. The Zero Hawk EM1 appears to not only be worth owning, but possibly worth recommending.
What is it? The Zero Hawk EM1 is an enclosed emitter RMSc pattern 3-rectile dot that is currently priced in the very-affordable range of $129.99-169.99 on Amazon (lower price than direct from Zero Hawk). That puts it in direct price competition with more-established OSight lineup.
Who's it for? The RMSc pattern is becoming the most common on carry guns, 1911-pattern pistols, and other narrow slide applications. While the use of a red dot on a carry gun is debatable, an enclosed emitter like the Zero Hawk EM1 helps negate many concerns, and is overall the most practical choice for range guns too.
We have a tendency to correlate price with quality, but with products like red dots which are generally made in China regardless of brand, price can also be just as tied to brand equity as it is quality. Zero Hawk hasn't had a pressence for very long, so we can't cite any track record, but for those willing to try something new it can mean saving hundreds of dollars.
What All Comes in the Box? Tha packaging is nicely done and includes a battery, adapter plates for RMR and MOS-pattern pistols, a cleaning cloth, multi tool, organized screw set, and rubber optic cover. The box includes everything you need to get going aside from thread locker. Although some thread locker is pre applied, I recommend adding a dab of non-permanent thread locker anyways.
My Take: The value proposition is an optic you'll want to get in on before prices rise. In my limited experience so far I find no reason not to get one. If I were to critique the optic it would be about the thickness of the reticle; it's a bit thicker than I prefer, but I also know that's a matter of personal preference. A thicker reticle is easier to spot, but at the expense of possibly obscuring the target if the brightness is too high. If needed, it's easy enough to turn off the 32moa circle and just use the 2moa center dot. On-board options include using circle and dot, circle only, or dot only. I also wish I had the green option which I was unaware of when Zero Hawk offered to send this sample. For my eyes green is easier to pick up and contrasts more against the targets I use.
Some light use, but a demonstration of how well the dot worked for me can be seen in the revisit video of the EAA Girsan Witness 2311 Match
Features and Specs direct from Zero Hawk
Multiple Reticle System：a 2 & 32 MOA system with dot-only, circle-only, or dot-and-circle modes to adapt to any shooting scenario.
Enclosed Emitter Design: Fully sealed, IP67-rated construction protects the emitter from impact, dust, and moisture, ensuring reliable performance in any condition.
Parallax-Free: Aspherical multilayer lens deliver zero-distortion, parallax-free performance through a large viewing window for fast, precise target acquisition.
Side-Loading Battery: Effortless CR1632 battery replacement without removing the optic, avoiding re-zeroing. Integrated battery-cap screw design prevents loss during maintenance.
Long-Life Battery: Paired with a high-capacity CR1632 battery, delivers up to 50,000 hours of runtime in Mode 3.
Advanced Brightness Settings: Super LED technology offers 10 daylight + 2 night-vision reticle intensity settings with lockout mode.
Built to Last: Rugged 7075-T6 aluminum housing resists debris, moisture, and impact, proven through live-fire testing, 5000 G shock resistance, and drop tests.
Reticle Type: 2 & 32 MOA
Reticle Color: Red
Item Dimensions: 1.61x1.05x1 in / 40.8x26.7x25.4mm
Item Weight (only sight): 1.17oz / 33.3g
Material: 7075 T6 Aluminum
Battery Life: 50,000 hours mode 3
Waterproof: IP67
Brightness Setting: 10DL+2NV
Shake Awake: Yes
Adjustment Per Click: 1 MOA
Vibration Resistance: 5000G
Window Size: 0.83 × 0.59in / 21 × 15mm
Included Components: ZEROHawk EM1 x 1, RMR to RMSc Adapter Plate x 1, MOS to RMSc Adapter Plate x 1, Mounting Screw Set x 1, Adjustment Tool x 1