Premier Optics

[ryanm]

Does anyone have first hand experience with this product?

http://store.troyind.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=58
http://www.swfa.com/c-2701-premier-r...flescopes.aspx

They are priced right up there with S&B and from reading it sounds to edge out S&B in terms of optics quality. I've only been able to find a couple of comparisons.

http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_post...TID=13693&PN=1

[Parabellum9x19mm]

that's the most expensive optic i've never heard of.

[ryanm]

I'm just wondering if its the Les Baer of scopes

I could buy 2 different Nightforce scopes for the price of this, my experience with NF has been extremely positive. I know I'm probably answering my own question.

Alot of the "super" high end stuff seems to either be either A. Crap the Crapper or B. Exotically stupendous for marginal gains over cheaper competing products.

Hard to say that one of these Premier scopes is worth 2x a NF. Also hard for me to say the same about S&B vs NF.

I feel myself slipping into NF fanboy mode so I'll stop there...

Optics are one of those areas where I always hear Calliope music in the background. Sometimes there are clowns with balloons...

[SHIVAN]

It's probably not worth 2x a NF. However, Premier knows optics and was knowledgable enough to win a day optic contract for outfitting the USMC S&B scopes with their reticles.

They were also one of the only authorized Leupold warranty repair centers in the world that wasn't named Leupold. That is until Leupold screwed them over a bit, and they cut ties.

They have over 40 years in the optics business as I recall.

[trinydex]

from another forum

The S&B scopes that were assembled by premier have earned the reputation as the least reliable S&B scopes ever made.
That's probably the main reason S&B dumped Premier as their US representation.
Premier has never fully recovered technically since the old man died and Leupold dropped them because they were no longer able to put Leupold scopes back together to satisfy Leupold's QC standards.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...light=premiere

[SHIVAN]

Unless Randall would like to come here and provide some sources, it would appear that he's revising history. If Leupold was so unhappy with Premier, why did they retain them until just after the father died??

Can anyone provide a source for the Schmidt & Bender reference? It was my understanding that S&B had a limited contract with them, and that the contract was fulfilled.

[trinydex]

i don't really know anything. it's just this thread and the calguns thread were so coincidental and had such different reviews, i thought i'd cross reference a little.

[SHIVAN]

i don't really know anything. it's just this thread and the calguns thread were so coincidental and had such different reviews, i thought i'd cross reference a little.

I think Premier had a 10 year, or longer, relationship with Leupold. The father dies, and Leupold launches their Custom Shop with reticle replacement, turret customizations, magnification swaps, etc. Then Leupold starts pulling supply from Premier, making it difficult for Premier to supply new optics with their reticles, magnification, and turret options.

Just off the top of my head, S&B had a contract with Premier for 100 scopes. A contract ending, and S&B "dumping them" don't seem to be the same thing.

Would love to hear someone else chime in...

[sinister]

Leupold could think of nothing new or original.

Premier had better and more intimate customer service. Then they designed the 2nd gen mil-dot system with half-mil hashes and additional ranging marks on the thick stadia. Made Leupold (correctly) look slow, ponderous, unimaginative, and unresponsive.

Leupold countered with their TMR reticle and (from my understanding -- not first-hand knowledge) cutting Premier off from OEM repair parts with little to no warning.

[Mo_Zam_Beek]

If you are really interested go to the Hide and use "search"http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubb...057#Post894057 that will get you started.

I don't own one and I have never seen one. I am interested in one but I would hold off until every unit has the same feel in the turrets and they get all the bugs worked out.

From what I have read, they hired pretty much most all of the important folks from S&B and they are producing a product that has image quality on par with S&B but for less $$. I like some of the features but prehaps the biggest is that it is American. I have S&B and I have heard it is a long wait if it ever has to go back.

Good luck

ETA to say for those that are really interested in some of the scuttlebutt behind why and how things went the way the did with Loopy and Premiere when Dick Thomas died or the course of events between Premiere and S&B search the Hide and you'll be able to piece it together.

On another note it is good to see any / all manufacturers trying to raise the bar. NF is making strides with a FFP but the price point puts in right there with USO / Premiere and I think you'll see many / most start to scratch their head. USO will build you whatever you want and their CS is second to none. Loopy - I want to support them b/c they are an OR company, but they have a hard enough time just making sure that each reticle is plumb, let alone listening to feedback and realizing that many out there want a FFP with 1/10 MIL adjustments. Then again they know who they are - they are producing for the masses and are really not set up, nor do they produce a high enough quality of product to compete with the boutique optics manufacturers. Then there is S&B and Hendsoldt....