Premier Reticles Light Tactical 3-15x50mm Scope
Tactical Gun Review 02.09.12
Premier Reticles Light Tactical 3-15X50mm. We’ve had this scope mounted on a Browning X-Bolt .25-06 for about two months now and have had the opportunity to test it in a variety of conditions – from hot and sunny days at the range to hunting in the rain. Specs:
- 3-15 magnification, 50mm lens.
- First focal plane.
- Light Tactical is a 30mm tube compared to the Heritage 34mm tube.
- The Light Tactical is considerably lighter (at 24.0oz) than the full-size Premier Reticles Heritage.
- Glass is bright, very clear edge-to-edge.
- The two-revolution tactical turrets have a window that indicates position. This is a nice feature that allows you to tell positioning at a glance.
- Turret clicks have a nice, positive, tactile feel.
- Parallax turret.
- Lens covers included.
- We ordered the non-illuminated Gen 2 mil-dot. Gen 2 XR (Christmas tree) available.
- Etched glass reticles for the ultimate in stability and reliability.
Our first impressions were, “Wow, this glass is fantastic!” I think that anyone would have trouble finding fault with the image clarity. It is sharp and bright in all light conditions.
Unfortunately, our long range testing day was rained out so we haven’t had the opportunity to mount it on our LTR 308 for 750 – 1,000 yard steel. Need to get on that as I’m very interested to see how well it performs at those distances.
The Light Tactical relies on a traditional two set-screw locking system to set zero-stop. This is a step down from the Heritage tool-less cam-lock. Not as elegant but certainly works fine for the majority of people.
In real-world hunting situations, the Light Tactical has performed superbly.
The boar hog (see photo) was an easy shot – except for light conditions. I was deer hunting and this particular hog came out about 15 minutes after sunset. In Texas, legal shooting hours for game animals extend to 30 minutes after sunset – but hogs can be shot at night. Deer were moving and I was not interested in the hog as long as I had a chance at a nice buck so I just ignored it. Soon enough it was dark, then “dark-thirty” as we say. The hog was still there, about 150 yards down the sendero. To the naked eye, it was barely a dark smudge. Gun up, get on him, wow, perfectly clear target acquisition, aim right behind the ear, slowly squeeze the trigger, and…hog down! DRT – just fell over in his tracks. Now, a 150 yard shot is certainly nothing to brag about. The story here is about the glass – precision shot about 45 minutes after sunset.
The whitetail buck was taken at 200 yards in a steady rain. Again, my gear performed perfectly. Ethical one-shot kill, went down in his tracks. The Premier Reticles Light Tactical enabled me to evaluate deer out to 400 yards. The spot I was hunting is one where the big bucks quickly pass through. If you spot something promising you don’t have time to casually glass with binoculars. It is a case of gun up, spin magnification to 15X, make a quick decision. The buck I harvested was taken that way – spotted him walking out, made a quick evaluation through the scope, squeezed off a round. This scope inspires confidence.
At $2,145 retail this is not an inexpensive rifle scope. However, it compares very favorably to other high-end optics like Schmidt & Bender. You get what you pay for and the Premier Reticles Light Tactical is worth it.
Tactical Gun Review is published by Mike Coker and Charles Coker. The Coker name is well known in Texas hunting circles and several generations of Cokers have pursued whitetail deer throughout South and Central Texas. We strongly believe in God, Guns, and Family.
Staff writers include long-range shooting gurus and ex-military.
Our primary focus is on AR15 style Modern Sporting Rifles, precision bolt action rifles, and defensive pistols. Our taste in optics run from Eotech, Trijicon, Aimpoint, Leupold, Schmidt & Bender, and Premier Reticles.
