Bushnell Tour V6 Shift Rangefinder Review

on May 30, 2023

50 Words or Less

The Bushnell Tour V6 Shift rangefinder has great accuracy and improved range. Visual Jolt leaves no doubt when you’ve captured the pin.

Support Plugged In Golf, buy the Tour V6 Shift HERE

Introduction

Certain brand names just carry more weight. No one would ever be mad to receive Titleist golf balls, a Rolex watch, or, the subject of today’s review, a Bushnell rangefinder. With their stranglehold on Tour use and retail sales, Bushnell is unquestionably the biggest name in the category. The question I want to answer in this review of the Bushnell Tour V6 Shift rangefinder is whether or not they’re still making the best devices or just trading on their name.

Set Up & Ease of Use

The Bushnell Tour V6 Shift rangefinder is as easy to use as any laser you can find. After you unbox it, open the battery compartment, remove the plastic tab, and you’re ready to go. One push of the orange power button brings up the aiming reticle and a second displays the yardage.

There is a second button on the top of the device, as you can see above. Holding this down will give you the ability to change from yards to meters and to adjust the brightness of the display. Both adjustments are handled intuitively.

“Shift” in the name indicates that this is Bushnell’s slope-enhanced model. There is a standard Bushnell Tour V6 for players who don’t ever want slope-adjusted yardages. Switching the Tour V6 Shift from slope-adjusted to tournament-legal is as easy as sliding the “B” left or right. The photo above shows the unit in tournament-legal mode. Shifting the “B” to the left reveals an orange background and lets everyone know your rangefinder is adjusting for slope.

Finally, the battery compartment on the Tour V6 Shift is very secure. Some rangefinders open with just a quarter turn, but the Tour V6 requires four full turns. Since changing the battery isn’t required more than once a season (unless you play a lot), I have a slight preference for this more secure closure.

Accuracy & Performance

Being a Bushnell rangefinder, you expect that the Tour V6 Shift would be extremely accurate, and it is. Comparing it to other rangefinders and on-course markings, it produces consistent, precise yardages. It’s also very quick. The moment you release the power button, the yardage appears on the screen.

All of the features found on the Bushnell Tour V5 rangefinders [review HERE] have carried forward to the V6. One of the most popular is the BITE Magnetic Mount on the side. This magnet has a strong grip. I’m not recommending it, but you could probably throw the V6 at your cart and it would stick.

Another key feature is the PinSeeker technology with Visual Jolt. Many golfers aren’t sure if they’ve locked their rangefinder onto the flag. With the Tour V6 Shift, there is no doubt. When the laser has found its target, not only does the device vibrate, a bright red ring encircles your field of vision.

The primary upgrade to the V6 from the Tour V5 is increased range to the flag. You’re now able to capture a flag at 500 yards where the V5 was limited to 400 yards. This rangefinder has 6X magnification, so seeing a flag at that distance is possible, but I wouldn’t label this improvement as a game changer. Bushnell also states that the Tour V6 is their most weather resistant laser ever, meeting the IPX6 standard of being able to resist high pressure jets of water.

Value

The Bushnell Tour V6 Shift rangefinder retails for $399. The non-slope Tour V6 costs $299. Please consider supporting Plugged In Golf by buying your Bushnell rangefinders HERE.

With this rangefinder, you’re paying a premium for the name and a somewhat elevated user experience. This laser feels very sturdy, the button presses are crisper, and the design is more ergonomic. That said, you can get almost all these features from other lasers for half the price.

Conclusion

The Bushnell Tour V6 Shift rangefinder is the kind of premium laser we expect from Bushnell. There is no new ground being broken here, but this is a quality rangefinder that will last for numerous seasons.

Buy the Bushnell Tour V6 Shift HERE

Matt Saternus

Editor In Chief at Plugged In Golf

Matt has worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking.

He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.

Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.