Bushnell has been the No. 1 rangefinder in golf for a long time, and with good reason. Great customer service, great optics quality, a durable build and premium features have always made the brand stand out. It’s also the one that the pros reach for the most, with over 98 percent of the PGA Tour using a Bushnell rangefinder during their practice rounds. The problem is, they’ve got four models to choose from. So which one should you actually buy?
Let’s break them down going from least to most expensive.
The Bushnell A-1 Slope is the smallest form-factor in the lineup, but it still packs in everything you need from a rangefinder. Inside the box, you’ll receive an optional sleeve for the rangefinder that incorporates the Bushnell BITE magnet found on its more expensive models. This allows a user to attach the rangefinder to the rails on a cart, or, if the golfer is walking, on an iron head.
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The A-1 slope has a 6x magnification viewfinder that will lock on up to 350 yards away and includes a function for calculating distance with slope. You can turn the slope calculation feature on and off within the menu of the device, but there is not a physical switch on the unit to indicate the slope function being on or off. It also includes a physical Pinseeker Jolt vibration, so you know when you’re locked on.
The A-1 Slope is also the only one in the lineup that is re-chargeable via USB-C.
The Tour V7 Shift is the first step up from the A-1, and it’s the first one that “looks” like a typical Bushnell rangefinder. The Shift’s big features include an OLED screen, which is exclusive to this model, as well as a Range Recall feature that will bring up the last distance you measured, which is good for those times where your partner distracts you and, by the time you get back to the cart, you forget what distance you just measured. That happens to me a lot, and the recall feature on the V7 Shift actually has become quite handy.
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The V7 Shift features the same 6x magnification as the A-1 Slope, but this time, it stretches out to 500 yards of lock-on capability. The V7 Slope also gives a Visual Jolt indication in the viewfinder when locked on to the pin, on top of the physical Jolt vibration. On the V7 Shift, you will get a physical locking slope switch on one side of the unit, and a built-in BITE magnet on the other.
The V7 Shift is also LINK enabled, which means that you can connect through the Bushnell app and utilize information from a Bushnell or Foresight launch monitor about your bag, and have that companion information in your display out on the course. It’s a really cool way for players at a higher level to stay very connected to the performance of the clubs and maintain consistency with that performance depending on where they travel, and changes that are being made to other parts of their game.
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The Tour Hybrid takes a step up from the Tour V7 Shift with a slightly bigger frame and a lot of the same features as the Tour V7 Shift but with added in GPS functionality. It’s not LINK enabled, but it does give you slope adjusted distances (unless turned off) and a front, middle, back distance right in the viewfinder.
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This is really handy for golfers that like to be very particular about their distance control. If you shoot a flag, for example, at 183 yards, it might not be easy to tell how much room you have in front of or behind that flag. If you’re in between clubs at that distance, it’s nice to know where you have more green to play with. By having accurate front, middle and back distances, you can see what the better miss is and pick a better club before you ever even try to execute a shot. The slope distances shown in the viewfinder are also slope adjusted.
The Tour Hybrid has the same 6x magnification and 500-yard flag lock-on as the V7 Shift. It also carries over the physical locking slope switch, BITE magnet and the enhanced visual JOLT in the display when locked on to the pin.
The Pro X3+ LINK is the king of the castle within the Bushnell rangefinder lineup. It’s the one that you’ll see tour players and caddies using most frequently as the flagship offering from the brand. The Pro X3+ LINK throws the kitchen sink of features at you.
It’s LINK enabled, which means you get access to the MyBag information within the Bushnell app connected to a launch monitor, but it also has some unique features that help you play the best golf no matter where you are. The coolest one — that I actually recently discovered while playing golf with Tour pro Eric Cole at Scottsdale National — is that you can set your home elevation.
Inside the rangefinder, it will calculate what your “home distance” is once you shoot the pin. So if you’re playing golf in Denver, but you live in Jupiter, Fla., it will give you the flat distance as shot in Colorado, but also give you the “Florida” distance. I cannot overstate how much easier this makes club choice when you’re traveling. Of course, that’s not a tournament legal feature, but it’s great for casual play and it’s something that Tour players and caddies will use during practice rounds to help formulate a game plan.
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The Pro X3+ LINK also brings in the conditions that you are playing in, including slope calculations that factor in the elements you are playing in as well as wind speed and direction.
With MyBag connection, home elevation calculation, slope with elements, and wind calculation, choosing the wrong club is just up to making sure you don’t confuse your 9-iron with your upside-down 6-iron.
The way I view the Bushnell lineup is that it gets progressively more specific. As you step up from the A-1 Slope to the V7 Shift, you get a locking slope switch, further lock-on capabilities and some LINK functionality. From the V7 Shift to the Tour Hybrid, you bring in GPS functions, which are more important to players that may be working on navigating a course rather than just getting distances. From the Tour Hybrid to the Pro X3+ LINK, you bring in the complete preparation package, incorporating every point of data you would need to prepare for a big moment.
Bushnell has a stacked lineup for golfers, and there’s sure to be one in here that suits your budget and your needs.
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