Best rangefinder?

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By Goldpanner

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  1. Goldpanner

    Goldpanner
    Trail, BC

    Any ideas on what would be the best rangefinder on the market today? I have narrowed it down between Bushnell and Leopold but I am looking for some feedback.

  2. Dino J

    Dino J
    Burnaby, BC

    Hi Gordon, My two cents - I use the Bushnell ... Tour v3. I like the accuracy, the jolt feature to make sure that I know when I am locked on to the target. Also, I like the slope feature (calculating slope and distance for elevated greens/tees, etc. - though not tournament legal). Also, I really like the performance of the battery - I get at least 3 months or so with fairly regular/heavy use.
  3. Goldpanner

    Goldpanner
    Trail, BC

    Dino J said:

    Hi Gordon, My two cents - I use the Bushnell ... Tour v3. I like the accuracy, the jolt feature to make sure that I know when I am locked on to the target. Also, I like the slope feature (calculating slope and distance for elevated greens/tees, etc. - though not tournament legal). Also, I really like the performance of the battery - I get at least 3 months or so with fairly regular/heavy use.
    I am considering the Bushnell Tour X or the Leupold GX-412 and they both have great features. They both appear tournament legal when you change faceplates. They both have slope features a well.
  4. tdogg21

    tdogg21
    Chambersburg, PA

    Personally I like and use a Bushnell Tour V2.  I love it and I almost feel lost without it.  It seemed to really add some confidence to my game when I knew exactly how far to the pin and didn't have to rely on some stakes next to the fairway.

  5. Dino J

    Dino J
    Burnaby, BC

    Hi Gordon, I think you have narrowed it down to some g rest options there. While I am a bit partial to Bushnell, having experienced the product firsthand, I have not heard anything negative about Leopold either. I like your choices... great way to go with the changing faceplate for Slope/Non - Slope features. I think the best that you can do is compare battery usage (ie: which batteries do they use, what is their expected "service life", warranty coverage, etc.) D
  6. JKannard

    JKannard
    Kansas City, MO

    Dino J said:

    Hi Gordon, My two cents - I use the Bushnell ... Tour v3. I like the accuracy, the jolt feature to make sure that I know when I am locked on to the target. Also, I like the slope feature (calculating slope and distance for elevated greens/tees, etc. - though not tournament legal). Also, I really like the performance of the battery - I get at least 3 months or so with fairly regular/heavy use.

    And now with the Tour X by Bushnell. They added the snap on/off plate for slope, can't beat it. 

    Just a little pricy.

  7. Goldpanner

    Goldpanner
    Trail, BC

    JKannard said:

    Hi Gordon, My two cents - I use the Bushnell ... Tour v3. I like the accuracy, the jolt feature to make sure that I know when I am locked on to the target. Also, I like the slope feature (calculating slope and distance for elevated greens/tees, etc. - though not tournament legal). Also, I really like the performance of the battery - I get at least 3 months or so with fairly regular/heavy use.

    And now with the Tour X by Bushnell. They added the snap on/off plate for slope, can't beat it. 

    Just a little pricy.

    [/quote] After 2 months of use and 57 rounds of golf, the Tour X is worth it's weight in gold. I played with some people the other day that use a Skycaddie as well as a Tour X to be as accurate as possible. I might do the same for blind shots on unfamiliar courses.
  8. Ben A

    Ben A
    Los Gatos, CA

    I haven;t played a round with both, but I really like my Leupold. I have had two of them. My current is the GX4i2 and I think it's fantastic. 

  9. Spudstarch

    Spudstarch
    Walnut Creek, CA

    I have a Bushnell V2 but I would have gotten a Leopold if I could afford that little extra. I just convinced my brother to get the GX3. Seems like every aspect of the Leopold is better than the comparable Bushnell.

  10. MMHarmon32

    MMHarmon32
    St Louis, MO

    Military

    I don't care for the laser rangefinders.  Too hard to hold it steady to 'shoot' a flagstick that might be blowing in the wind, is worthless for a blind shot (dogleg, uphill green, etc) and doesn't show you distance to clear a fairway bunker, distance to the water hazard, etc.  I am a big fan of SkyCaddie, and I even have one of the older models that require a subscription.  They show the entire course, with yardage to multiple targets, are accurate to within a yard, and are fast.  I look at the subscription part as me paying a buck a round to have an electronic caddy with me, giving me all the yardages I need. 

    Plus, the overall cost (even with subscription $) is quite a bit less than the cost of a laser unit.

  11. tdogg21

    tdogg21
    Chambersburg, PA

    MMHarmon32 said:

    I don't care for the laser rangefinders.  Too hard to hold it steady to 'shoot' a flagstick that might be blowing in the wind, is worthless for a blind shot (dogleg, uphill green, etc) and doesn't show you distance to clear a fairway bunker, distance to the water hazard, etc.  I am a big fan of SkyCaddie, and I even have one of the older models that require a subscription.  They show the entire course, with yardage to multiple targets, are accurate to within a yard, and are fast.  I look at the subscription part as me paying a buck a round to have an electronic caddy with me, giving me all the yardages I need. 

    Plus, the overall cost (even with subscription $) is quite a bit less than the cost of a laser unit.

    I understand what you are saying, but it's not as bad as you make it sound.  I've never had a problem shooting a flagstick, even in very windy and rainy conditions.  You might not get as accurate of a number as a GPS, but you can still shoot bunkers and water hazards to figure out distances.  You are right about blind shots.  If you can't see your landing zone, there isn't much you can do.

    However, I think your mistaken on overall cost.  Assuming you aren't talking about the watches or basic gps's that only give you a number, a new skycaddie is as much or more than a new laser.  And with a laser, once you have it, it's all yours.  You don't have to worry about subscription fees or software updates.

    I've used both and there are times I was happy someone in the group had a GPS, but in my experiences, a laser is the better long term option.

  12. Blake B

    Blake B
    Harbor Springs, MI

    Since I do not wear a watch (or wedding ring, etc.) while I'm on the course I went with the Bushnell Tour V6. So far it has held up great and seems to be extremely accurate. Locating the flag stick isn't too hard unless you have the coffee shakes, but the pin lock technology helps out. Highly recommend. 

  13. Dennis B

    Dennis B
    New Lowell, ON

    I have the Bushnell V2. Like it a lot. Mostly use it on par 3's and 2nd shots. I also use Golf logix app. 

  14. Speedy

    Speedy
    East Coast, NH

    I have  Garmin GPS G6 and it does come handy at times, however I'm looking for more especially when I'm on the range and have no idea how far the flag is.  So i started looking into range finders.   A few buddies of mine have Bushnell, not sure of model but they rave about it.  And after doing some research and reading reviews on line...... I ended up getting the Bushnell Tour V3 Jolt. 

    Got it yesterday in the mail and can't wait to use it..  Weather permitting, my son has his first golf session tonight with the First Tee at a local driving range..  I plan on trying it out while watching him whack away and having fun...

    I'll keep ya posted.

  15. tdogg21

    tdogg21
    Chambersburg, PA

    Christopher H. said:

    I have  Garmin GPS G6 and it does come handy at times, however I'm looking for more especially when I'm on the range and have no idea how far the flag is.  So i started looking into range finders.   A few buddies of mine have Bushnell, not sure of model but they rave about it.  And after doing some research and reading reviews on line...... I ended up getting the Bushnell Tour V3 Jolt. 

    Got it yesterday in the mail and can't wait to use it..  Weather permitting, my son has his first golf session tonight with the First Tee at a local driving range..  I plan on trying it out while watching him whack away and having fun...

    I'll keep ya posted.

    That was the other reason I went with a laser over a gps.  The way ranges have to move the tee ground around, there is no way to the signs will be accurate.

  16. Joe D

    Joe D
    Minooka, IL

    tdogg21 said:

    That was the other reason I went with a laser over a gps.  The way ranges have to move the tee ground around, there is no way to the signs will be accurate.

    [/quote]

    Great point,when you are at the range depending on what  practice area you are using  and the different angles to the flags,the distances are never correct..A big plus for range finders is you can incorporate them in your practice sessions ,from chipping to full shots.

  17. Mike C

    Mike C
    Dallas, TX

    I received a Bushnell Tour V3 rangefinder some time ago as a tee gift in a tournament and I loved it.  It replaced a laser rangefinder I had that would only hit the reflector in a flagstick.  The big difference to me s that I could hit anything, not just the reflector in the flagstick.  Fast forward several years and the Tour V3 final gave up on me.  It served we well over the years so i replaced it with a Bushnell Tour Z6 last year.  The Z6 is a little more compact and I really like the contrast of the red optics.  Demo the different rangefinders you are considering and go with the one you like best.  This is one item in my bag that I use religiously and I believe really speeds up play because you are not walking around looking for sprinkler heads and pacing off distances.

  18. Dino J

    Dino J
    Burnaby, BC

    Hi Mike, I love my Bushnell too. And, I completely agree with you regarding "speed of play" ... no more finding sprinkler heads and pacing off yardage, etc. My Bushnell with the Jolt technology - feature locks on the pin and vibrates to let me know that it has locked in to the pin. I can also use it to get readings on other objects too such as trees, bunkers, yardage markers, etc... In addition, I use it at the range to lock in on the various practice markers/flags, etc. Another bonus that I like about it is that there are absolutely no subscription fees nor are there software updates required for course information. A friend of mine had a Garmin GPS and he was continually trying to update it for new course information and it would not upload redesigned golf courses, etc. In addition, the margin of error on the GPS is greater than that of a laser range finder. The GPS however, does provide a bit of a map of the course/fairway that is of benefit when playing a course for the first time! D
  19. Speedy

    Speedy
    East Coast, NH

    Dino J said:

    Hi Mike, I love my Bushnell too. And, I completely agree with you regarding "speed of play" ... no more finding sprinkler heads and pacing off yardage, etc. My Bushnell with the Jolt technology - feature locks on the pin and vibrates to let me know that it has locked in to the pin. I can also use it to get readings on other objects too such as trees, bunkers, yardage markers, etc... In addition, I use it at the range to lock in on the various practice markers/flags, etc. Another bonus that I like about it is that there are absolutely no subscription fees nor are there software updates required for course information. A friend of mine had a Garmin GPS and he was continually trying to update it for new course information and it would not upload redesigned golf courses, etc. In addition, the margin of error on the GPS is greater than that of a laser range finder. The GPS however, does provide a bit of a map of the course/fairway that is of benefit when playing a course for the first time! D

    I have to agree with you on the Garmin.  I have the G6 and it's been nice but I've tried updating the software to get the latest courses and it's been a nightmare trying to do it...   It tells me it's complete, unplug it from my computer and then I look at the Garmin and it's telling me to update the course..  I just did!!!   The update is driving me mental so i left it as is and bought the Bushnell.. 

  20. Steve M

    Steve M
    Hatboro, PA

    I also use the Bushnell (not sure of the model), but opted to NOT get the Jolt technology as I've heard it kills battery life. I haven't had any issues using it and often forget that I can simply shoot a bunker, pond, etc. Before getting the Bushnell, I had the Garmin G6 for one round of golf. Between needing to "install" a course and making sure you are on the proper hole (i.e. outings), it was a PITA to use. Plus, in the round that I used it, I was comparing it against the cart-mounted GPS. I was shocked when I saw that I was on a wrong hole and couldn't figure out how to get it back on track. It went back that night. All said, I'm a believer that the GPS and Lasers are both good. the GPS is especially good for new courses that might show hidden bunkers/water/etc. However, the laser is better if you simply want yardage to a flag or specific area, such as the cart of the group in front of you. Steve
  21. Christopher T

    Christopher T
    Sapulpa, OK

    Both of those makes are very good range finders.  The only real difference is quality of optic within the device.  Luepold has very good optics and is know for that in all the products they produce.  Bushnell is a leader in laser rangefinders, so they are no slouch.  Each has great things that set them apart, so it is not an easy choice to make.  Best to go someplace that has them both, and do some side by side comparisons.  Then you can make the best choice for what you want, and what is within your budget.  Good luck. 

  22. Goldpanner

    Goldpanner
    Trail, BC

    I bought a Bushnell Tour X and tried it out today, made a difference on the course. Still need to not shake so much when shooting objects on the course...lol.

    i like the "jolt technology", the slope is a nice feature and definitely makes a difference.

  23. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    The Leopold is one heck of a range finder.  If you don't worry about the bottom line, buy the Leopold.

    That said, for about 200 bones less, I picked up the Bushnell V3.  

    It's super accurate and functional.  First of all I love the case.  It's a clip n flip type case.  It's got a zipper when you need to secure it, and it's also got a little bungee so you can quickly access it during your round.  More importantly the display is clear and the device couldn't be easier to use.  I trust the distances and can easily shoot trees, bunker lips, and whatever I need.  

    I kind of miss the fly over's that GPS offers, but I sure don't miss the inaccurate distances.  You really can't go wrong with either a Bushnell or Leopold.

  24. Ken D

    Ken D
    Nashville, TN

    Just got a cally 300 ( Not on your list ) for $200. Works great for me.
  25. Michael B

    Michael B
    Plainville, MA

    I use the Bushnell laser with the jolt technology.  It has been a great help on the course and especially at the driving range when the tees are relocated. 

    Blind targets are always a problem but can be overcome with some course knowledge and another landmark.

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