Actually, Premier reticles was a privately owned company with no actual connection with Leupold, other that it became a factory authorized service center.
Premier reticles started business shortly following WW2 when
Bob Thomas returned home to W VA
He had been trained to work on bomb sights found on bombers.
With rifle scopes starting to become popular he started a small business specializing in that market.
Later his son Dick joined him in the business.
They became well known especially with the then small number of long range hunters due the multiple dot reticle they had perfected.
This of coarse was long before factory turrets became available on hunting scopes.
They needed the caliber, weight and BC of the bullet, scope height above the bore, along with the velocity and average elevation where the rifle would be used.
lots of PA hunters were using Premier multi dot reticles, myself included.
They mostly went to a max distance of 1000 yds, although they would also do custom versions on customer request.
I got to meet Dick Thomas at a friends camp during the buck season one year in the mid 70s.
We had found a buck, and we were preparing for a shot.
I was watching the buck thru tripod mounted glasses.
all of a sudden the buck folded up, a second or so later we hears the shot.
Later when they went over there to retrieve the deer, i recognized one of the hunters.
So that night i paid him a visit at his camp, and complained about them killing our deer lol.
Anyway he introduced me to the shooter, that being Dick Thomas of Premier Reticles.
I had spoken with him many times by phone, regarding work on scopes.
They ultimately moved to a new facility in Winchester VA.
And Dicks son became a part of the business.
Not long after that Dick died, at a fairly young age.
The son had different visions for the company, which didnt include repairing Leupold scopes and installing reticles.
So ultimately the Premier rifle scope was introduced, and the rest as they say is now history.
BTW, i still have several Premier multi dot reticles in several of my Leupold scopes.
I killed my only PA black bear with a first round hit at 700 yds + with a 3.5x10 vari x 3 with a Premier multi dot reticle mounted on a lefty 700 actioned rifle chambered in 7x300 WBY. with a 162 gr Hornady BTHP match bullet.
That was 19 years ago this past season, when i was only 70 years old. lol
