An Honest Bushnell Tour V4 Rangefinder Review [2022 Edition]

Over the past few years, rangefinders have become all the rage amongst golfers.

The PGA of America even made rangefinders legal in all three of its major championships back in May of 2021. The move was made by the governing body with the hopes of speeding up the pace of play on the golf course at these events.

I’ve been playing golf for several years and I’ll be the first to admit that I was slow to come around to using a rangefinder during my rounds. However, when I purchased my last set of golf clubs, the salesman kindly threw in a Bushnell Tour V4 rangefinder as part of the deal. Now I don’t know how I ever played a round of golf without it!

In the following review, I’ll go over what I like and dislike about the Bushnell Tour V4 rangefinder. Hopefully, after reading this, you’ll be able to decide if it’s the best rangefinder for you and your game. So, without further delay, let’s get to it!

Quick Overview of the Bushnell Tour V4

Bushnell has been making top-of-the-line rangefinders for over 25 years, so they have stood the test of time in the golf industry. The Tour V4 was first released in 2016 and it remains one of Bushnell’s best-selling rangefinders, even though the Tour V5 has been out for quite a while. The Slope Edition lets you toggle in and out of Bushnell’s special slope feature, which automatically adjusts its yardage based on the incline or decline of the slope.

The Tour V4 provides pinpoint accuracy and gives you a yardage number that you can be confident in each time you use it on the golf course. It also comes with Pin Seeker Jolt technology, which sends short vibrating pulses when you have correctly shot the laser to the flag. With the Tour V4’s 5x magnification, you’ll easily be able to see all of the key details of each green on the course.

What I Like About The Bushnell Tour V4

Since the Tour V4 has so many key features, it’s hard to decide which ones I value the most. However, here are some of my favorite things about this particular Bushnell rangefinder. These are in no particular order.

• Pinpoint Accuracy: Before using the Tour V4, I simply used a standard golf GPS app on my phone. While this worked okay to give me ballpark yardage on each of my shots, I quickly learned that the yardage it gave me was regularly three to five yards off the actual distance. I’ve never had this problem with the Tour V4 because its accuracy is always within 1-yard. It’s so refreshing to not have to second guess my club selection anymore!
• Pin Seeker with Jolt Technology: This is probably my favorite feature of the Bushnell Tour V4 rangefinder! With other brands, you may be left wondering if you correctly aimed the laser at the target. This is NOT the case with the Tour V4 thanks to its Pin Seeker with Jolt feature. Simply aim at the flagstick and the device will provide you with a tactile confirmation by lightly vibrating a few times! How cool is that?
• Fast Focus System: Some laser rangefinders or golf GPS apps can take quite a while to give you the desired yardage information. This can be due to a weak cell phone signal on a GPS app or a lengthy process on some off-brand rangefinders. Needless to say, it is super annoying when that happens! Thankfully, golfers don’t have to worry about that happening with the Bushnell Tour V4. It has a fast focus system that allows you to see your yardage number and degree of slope quickly and efficiently. No more waiting around to find your number and select your club.
• 2-Year Warranty: Let’s face it. Finding a company that stands behind its products with a solid warranty is almost a rare thing nowadays. This warranty means if you have any trouble with the Tour V4 in the way of manufacturing defects within two years of your purchase date, Bushnell will either fix the issue or send you a new rangefinder as a replacement.
• Compact Size: Some golf rangefinders are too bulky, which makes it difficult to keep a steady hand when trying to find out yardages. You won’t have this problem with the Tour V4. It’s a lightweight device with an ergonomic design, which makes it much easier to hold than other brands. Your thumb will easily wrap around the entire device and you’ll be able to easily hit the red button on top to start shooting yardages.
• Slope Mode: Being able to calculate the slope of each green is a remarkable advantage for amateur golfers. Thanks to the Tour V4’s ability to tell me the degrees of slope, I can decide the safest approach shot based on the hole layouts. This has helped me lower my handicap considerably.
• Water Resistant: This one is a biggie for me because, unlike some other golfers, I like playing in the rain (I know, I’m weird). The Tour V4 is water-resistant so you can use it without fear of damaging it. However, just to be on the safe side, I wouldn’t use it in a complete downpour though, as it’s not waterproof (only water-resistant). Be sure to keep the rangefinder in its premium carrying case when you aren’t using it.
• Access to Bushnell Golf App: Golfers of all levels will love the Bushnell Golf mobile app because of its helpful features. The app offers 3D flyovers of each hole as well as yardages to the front, to the flag, and to the back of the green. The app currently has a 4.8 rating on the App Store and a 3.9 rating on Google Play. Both of those impressive ratings just go to show that Bushnell spared no expense when it came to designing its mobile golf app.
• Extremely Long Battery Life: Another critical feature of the Tour V4 is its battery life. I’ve been using this rangefinder for over a year and haven’t needed to replace the battery. It takes a 3-volt lithium cr2 battery, which is easy to find at most shopping outlets. The battery door also easily slides open to make the whole replacement process a breeze.

What I Dislike About The Bushnell Tour V4

There’s not a whole lot to dislike about the Tour V4. The only complaint I have is that it doesn’t come with a magnet on it, which would make it easier to mount it on the side of the golf cart during a round. This would be much more convenient than having to take it in and out of the carry case throughout the entire round on the course.

However, I have heard that the new Bushnell Tour V5 comes with its new BITE magnetic technology, which allows you to just slap it on the side of the golf cart rails. It would probably be pretty easy to just slap a small magnet on the side of the Tour V4 though.

Overall Rating and Thoughts: 4.9 Stars

Bushnell has converted me into a customer for life. While I used to think rangefinders were overpriced and unnecessary, I now don’t know how I ever played a round of golf without one! If you are on the fence about which rangefinder to buy, I highly recommend the Bushnell Tour V4 Slope Edition.

Overall, I’d give the Bushnell Tour V4 rangefinder 4.9 out of 5 stars for a variety of reasons. It’s insanely accurate and I love the Jolt Technology, which vibrates a little bit when you have locked on to the flag. This gives me peace of mind that I have aimed the laser in the correct spot.

The slope option is incredibly helpful because it factors in the degrees of slope for you, which tells you what the shot is actually playing. This makes a huge difference in the way of club selection. After all, most golf shots have some sort of slope involved.

If you are not a fan of the slope technology and just want the actual distance or you are playing in a tournament that doesn’t allow it, you can easily shift between modes by rotating the small notch dial on top. Again, Bushnell hits a home run with this feature.

I also love how the Bushnell Tour V4 rangefinder fits comfortably into the palm of my hand. It was designed with stabi-grip technology, which means it won’t slip out of your hand and it’s easy to handle. It’s also lightweight, so your arm and hand won’t get tired of holding it during a round.

Lastly, Bushnell is the most reputable rangefinder brand on the market. Tons of professional and amateur golfers around the world trust Bushnell to give them accurate yardage readings. If you’re in the market for a new rangefinder, you can’t go wrong with the Bushnell Tour V4 Slope Edition.

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

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