The Best Golf Rangefinders Under $300 In 2020
By now, you may have read some of our reviews for golf rangefinders on the lower end of the price spectrum. But what if you have some money to play around with? If you have a bit more flexibility budget-wise and are in the market for a quality golf rangefinder then this review list is for you.
Today we are going to be looking at the best golf rangefinders under $300. Mind you, there are a lot of ridiculously priced rangefinders (we’re talkin’ thousands of dollars expensive) out there so we are still in the realm of fiscal sanity here. So let’s take a look at 7 quality rangefinders under $300.
1. The Bushnell Tour V4 Jolt
First on our list is a $250 rangefinder from Bushnell that sports a 5x magnification lens and LCD display. This Bushnell rangefinder gets its name from the vibrating pulse it emits when it locks onto a target.
We tested the Tour V4 Jolt for 2 full rounds and found it very handy for club selections down the fairway. The distances to hazards and the flag were accurate and actually helped us score a bit better. There is no slope calculation but that also means it is tournament legal.
Pros:
- Accurate up to 400 yards
- Measures in yards and meters
- You get the handy Bushnell golf app as well
Cons:
- Lens magnification is weak compared to other rangefinders in this price bracket
- It can actually get hot when left on for too long
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2. The Tectectec ULT-X Golf Rangefinder
Tectectec is gaining in popularity with their high quality rangefinders. The ULT-X delivered very accurate distance readings for flags that were over 500 yards away. It has both a slope calculation mode and a scan mode that reads distances to multiple hazards.
This is a cool-looking, water resistant rangefinder that you can get for about $250. It wasn’t hard to toggle between the different modes either, which is a problem with some rangefinders.
Pros:
- Comes with a 2-year manufacturer warranty
- Was easy to use right out of the box
- Comes with a faceplate for tournament play
Cons:
- A little hard to lock onto flags
- The Slope Mode accuracy is questionable
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3. The Precision Pro Golf NX9
A beefed up version of the NX7 (which we also reviewed), the NX9 sports a more powerful 7x magnification lens and a slop mode that adjusts distances to account for elevation.
One of our golfing buddies who only relies on curse yardage markers was with us when we tested the NX9. There was one yardage marker that was obscured by an incline and he used the NX9 and commented that he “might have to re-think” his golfing philosophy.
So yeah, this thing is pretty accurate and handy.
Pros:
- Its magnetic so you can attach it to your cart or bag stand
- Free lifetime battery replacement
- Easy to pick up the flag
Cons:
- The batteries don’t seem to last very long
- Hard to see through glare from the sun
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4. The Nikon Coolshot 40
What we liked most about the Nikon Coolshot 40 is that they seemed to have corrected the troublesome pin locking feature that plagued the Coolshot 20. At $300, this is definitely an upgrade from the Coolshot 20.
We tested it on a flag that was about 350 yards out according to the course markers and it read the distance accurately.
Pros:
- High quality 6x magnification lens
- Tournament legal
- Comes from a company known for quality optical products
Cons:
- No slope mode
- The scanning feature is spotty
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5. The Precision Pro Golf NX7
This is the little brother of the NX9 (see number 3 on this list) and it has all the same features except it’s not magnetized so it won’t stick to metal surfaces like the NX9. It also sports a weaker 6x magnification lens.
But it is also less expensive. The NX7 is $220 as opposed to its graduated version which will run you about $290.
Pros:
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Free lifetime battery replacement
- Easily picks up pretty much any target you set its sights on
Cons:
- Customer service can be hard to get a hold of (for battery replacements)
- Doesn’t work well on declines
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6. The Callaway EZ Scan
We loved the fact that this rangefinder has a side strap which makes holding it steady much easier. We’re not sure why other rangefinders don’t have this simple yet game-changing feature.
This is a very unique rangefinder. One of the features that sets it apart is the external LCD display that lets you compare distances to the internal read-outs. It also has a scan mode for multiple targets. We found it to be accurate up to about 300 yards out.
Pros:
- Control buttons are on the side which makes them easy to press when using the strap
- 1-year warranty
- Its magnetized so you can stick it to your golf cart frame or any metal surface
Cons:
- 5x magnification lens
- No slope mode
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7. The Callaway Hybrid Laser-GPS Rangefinder
Another very unique rangefinder that includes GPS functionality. This device will tell you distances to the back, front and center of the green on the small LCD screen just under the eyepiece.
It has course information for over 38,000 courses and comes with a rechargeable battery. Of course, it functions as a laser rangefinder as well and features pin locking technology. It sports a 6x magnification lens, is around $210 and accurate for distances within 300 yards.
Pros:
- Basic golf GPS functions
- Displays layup and carry distances
- Easy to use for a hybrid device
Cons:
- Short battery life
- Doesn’t account for incline/decline
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Which one is Truly the Best?
After testing all 7 of these devices, we quickly realized that accuracy was the main criterion by which we were comparing them.
Other devices like the Callaway Hybrid and EZ Scan were very impressive in their design and uniqueness (not to mention integrated GPS functionality) but based on accuracy and overall value, the best device on our list, for us, was the Tectectec ULT-X.
It was very accurate even at long ranges and even though the slope adjusted distances seemed a bit dubious (unfortunately there was no way for us to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that it was inaccurate), it is a great value at just $250.
***WINNER***
The Tec Tec Tec Ult X Golf Rangefinder
It is well under $300, very accurate with linear distances and it was very easy to use – factors that were most pertinent for this particular review. So if you want a quality rangefinder under $300, go out and take a look at the Tec Tec Tec ULT-X!