<span style="font-weight: bold">Premier Heritage 3-15 Review –
</span>
I haven’t seen many reviews lately on the Premier Heritage scopes, most of them stem from over a year ago. So I thought I would give my two cents on it.
I first off want to say that I went back and forth between purchasing a Schmidt and Bender 3-12, Hensoldt 3-12, and a Premier 3-15. I have a Nightforce NXS MRAD / Zero Stop in 3-15 SFP with a Mil-Dot reticle on my POF 308 and while I like that scope a lot I was looking for something even nicer. Cost for the most part wasn't an issue.
I went back and forth about which one to buy, the Hensoldt seemed to have the best sight picture / glass but I really didn’t like the fact that it had a standard mil-dot reticle (I know the 4-16 has the NH1 but that was going to cost another ~ $500) and was lacking a zero stop (I know you can make shift one with different mounts but I didn’t want to go there.) The Schmidt and Bender seemed really nice but it was a little short on elevation adjustment especially when compared to the Hensoldt and Premier. Plus the Schmidt and Bender illumination only lit up the center of the reticle. I plan using this scope for target shooting & hunting at night / dusk so the illumination was something for me to consider.
Then came the Premier, it had nice glass, great knobs, lots of elevation adjustment, great reticle, great illumination, and a tool-less zero stop. Made in the USA and serviced in the USA. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it is pretty heavy, ~ ½ pound heavier than the Schmidt and Bender and nearly ¾ heavier than the Hensoldt. But honestly I am a big guy and if I can’t huff another pound of weight around I should probably pack it up and go home….
So with that I decided to go with the Premier in a 3-15 w/ DT Knobs and the Gen II XR reticle. I also purchased Badger USMC 1” 34mm rings to mount them.
Below is my first impression of using the Premier Heritage 3-15. I had my Nightforce 3-15 there also to do a side by side comparison.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Knobs:
</span>
They are huge, that is the first thing you notice about them! The clicks have a great feel especially with the clicks changing feel every mil. They do require some force to get them moving, a noticleable amount more than the Nightforce knobs. This is not bad at all, in fact I like it better than the Nightforce knobs.
I set the zero stop on both the elevation and windage using a .308 win case. The tool-less zero stop feature trumps the Nightforce zero stop for ease of use. Setting the Premier zero stop is so simple, I can truly imagine this being a very desirable feature for the fine men and women that serve in our military. It took me 11.5 mils to get to my 100 yard zero leaving me 15.5 mils and that is with a 0 MOA base which is more than enough to take my .308 to over 1k yards.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Glass:
</span>
This obviously is subjective and from person to person this can vary a bit. But I did compare it to my Nightforce 3-15 and a fellow shooter next to me had a Swarovski Z5 3-18 to compare it to. We were all in agreement that the Premier was the clearest, brightest and had the best contrast of the three.
After viewing the Nightforce and Premier back to back both on 10x I noticed the Premier had this over the Nightforce –
The Premier’s eye-box was MUCH better than the Nightforce, you could get a sight picture very easily and quickly. Now that is not saying the Nightforce’s eye-box is bad but the Premier is just much easier. For reference I had thought the Nightforce was really easy to get behind in comparison to my other scopes past and present (Vortex Crossfire, Vortex Viper, and a Bushnell 3200 Elite.)
The Premier’s color contrast is MUCH better than the Nightforce, the Premier’s colors just jump out at you in comparison the Nightforce seems almost washed out color wise.
The eye relief on the Premier is also a bit longer than the Nightforce, its mainly noticeable below 10x which I find really helps getting a quick sight picture.
Also to note, I have looked through a 3-12 Hensoldt and while I liked it a lot I don’t think the Premier gives much up to it in the glass department in clarity or sight picture.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Reticle:
</span>
I really like the Gen II XR reticle, I think it’s a huge upgrade over the standard mil-dot. The reticle illumination is great as well because it lights up all the way down the reticle making it great for holdovers when needed in a pinch.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Side Focus / Diopter Focus:
</span>
The side focus knob works great, its stiff so it doesn’t get moved on accident. The model I have does not have markings but honestly I could really care less. The Diopter focus ring is VERY stiff on my scope, almost too stiff as I have found it hard to adjust but I have got it dialed in now. This is actually one thing I do not like about this scope.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Overall Appearance / Fit / Finish:
</span>
The scope is very well built, in fact it feels more well-built than my Nightforce does. The scope is truly built tough, everything feels very sturdy and looks and feels to be built with the highest quality in mind. The coating on the scope seems very durable, when I used the .308 win to flip up the toggle to zero the knobs I thought I had scratched it but then I just wiped off the mark and there was nothing left behind. I know the coating on my Nightforce is not that durable.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Overall Pros:
</span>
Excellent glass and sight picture
Great knobs w/ tactile clicks at each mil
Easy to set zero stop
Lots of elevation
Great Fit/Finish
<span style="font-weight: bold">Overall Cons:
</span>
Heavy – weights 38oz. (8 oz. heavier than the competition)
Diopter focus is very stiff
So far I REALLY like this scope, it is a nice step up from my Nightforce. I can see this scope providing many years good service. If you are in the market for a top-end scope I don’t think you can go wrong with the Premier Heritage, it is excellent to say the least.
Here are some pics of my setup:
</span>
I haven’t seen many reviews lately on the Premier Heritage scopes, most of them stem from over a year ago. So I thought I would give my two cents on it.
I first off want to say that I went back and forth between purchasing a Schmidt and Bender 3-12, Hensoldt 3-12, and a Premier 3-15. I have a Nightforce NXS MRAD / Zero Stop in 3-15 SFP with a Mil-Dot reticle on my POF 308 and while I like that scope a lot I was looking for something even nicer. Cost for the most part wasn't an issue.
I went back and forth about which one to buy, the Hensoldt seemed to have the best sight picture / glass but I really didn’t like the fact that it had a standard mil-dot reticle (I know the 4-16 has the NH1 but that was going to cost another ~ $500) and was lacking a zero stop (I know you can make shift one with different mounts but I didn’t want to go there.) The Schmidt and Bender seemed really nice but it was a little short on elevation adjustment especially when compared to the Hensoldt and Premier. Plus the Schmidt and Bender illumination only lit up the center of the reticle. I plan using this scope for target shooting & hunting at night / dusk so the illumination was something for me to consider.
Then came the Premier, it had nice glass, great knobs, lots of elevation adjustment, great reticle, great illumination, and a tool-less zero stop. Made in the USA and serviced in the USA. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it is pretty heavy, ~ ½ pound heavier than the Schmidt and Bender and nearly ¾ heavier than the Hensoldt. But honestly I am a big guy and if I can’t huff another pound of weight around I should probably pack it up and go home….
So with that I decided to go with the Premier in a 3-15 w/ DT Knobs and the Gen II XR reticle. I also purchased Badger USMC 1” 34mm rings to mount them.
Below is my first impression of using the Premier Heritage 3-15. I had my Nightforce 3-15 there also to do a side by side comparison.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Knobs:
</span>
They are huge, that is the first thing you notice about them! The clicks have a great feel especially with the clicks changing feel every mil. They do require some force to get them moving, a noticleable amount more than the Nightforce knobs. This is not bad at all, in fact I like it better than the Nightforce knobs.
I set the zero stop on both the elevation and windage using a .308 win case. The tool-less zero stop feature trumps the Nightforce zero stop for ease of use. Setting the Premier zero stop is so simple, I can truly imagine this being a very desirable feature for the fine men and women that serve in our military. It took me 11.5 mils to get to my 100 yard zero leaving me 15.5 mils and that is with a 0 MOA base which is more than enough to take my .308 to over 1k yards.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Glass:
</span>
This obviously is subjective and from person to person this can vary a bit. But I did compare it to my Nightforce 3-15 and a fellow shooter next to me had a Swarovski Z5 3-18 to compare it to. We were all in agreement that the Premier was the clearest, brightest and had the best contrast of the three.
After viewing the Nightforce and Premier back to back both on 10x I noticed the Premier had this over the Nightforce –
The Premier’s eye-box was MUCH better than the Nightforce, you could get a sight picture very easily and quickly. Now that is not saying the Nightforce’s eye-box is bad but the Premier is just much easier. For reference I had thought the Nightforce was really easy to get behind in comparison to my other scopes past and present (Vortex Crossfire, Vortex Viper, and a Bushnell 3200 Elite.)
The Premier’s color contrast is MUCH better than the Nightforce, the Premier’s colors just jump out at you in comparison the Nightforce seems almost washed out color wise.
The eye relief on the Premier is also a bit longer than the Nightforce, its mainly noticeable below 10x which I find really helps getting a quick sight picture.
Also to note, I have looked through a 3-12 Hensoldt and while I liked it a lot I don’t think the Premier gives much up to it in the glass department in clarity or sight picture.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Reticle:
</span>
I really like the Gen II XR reticle, I think it’s a huge upgrade over the standard mil-dot. The reticle illumination is great as well because it lights up all the way down the reticle making it great for holdovers when needed in a pinch.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Side Focus / Diopter Focus:
</span>
The side focus knob works great, its stiff so it doesn’t get moved on accident. The model I have does not have markings but honestly I could really care less. The Diopter focus ring is VERY stiff on my scope, almost too stiff as I have found it hard to adjust but I have got it dialed in now. This is actually one thing I do not like about this scope.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Overall Appearance / Fit / Finish:
</span>
The scope is very well built, in fact it feels more well-built than my Nightforce does. The scope is truly built tough, everything feels very sturdy and looks and feels to be built with the highest quality in mind. The coating on the scope seems very durable, when I used the .308 win to flip up the toggle to zero the knobs I thought I had scratched it but then I just wiped off the mark and there was nothing left behind. I know the coating on my Nightforce is not that durable.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Overall Pros:
</span>
Excellent glass and sight picture
Great knobs w/ tactile clicks at each mil
Easy to set zero stop
Lots of elevation
Great Fit/Finish
<span style="font-weight: bold">Overall Cons:
</span>
Heavy – weights 38oz. (8 oz. heavier than the competition)
Diopter focus is very stiff
So far I REALLY like this scope, it is a nice step up from my Nightforce. I can see this scope providing many years good service. If you are in the market for a top-end scope I don’t think you can go wrong with the Premier Heritage, it is excellent to say the least.
Here are some pics of my setup:
