Bushnell A1-Slope vs Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII

The Quick Verdict

Same price, very different machines. The Bushnell A1-Slope is built around portability — it's tiny, USB-C rechargeable, and disappears into a pocket. The Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII leans on optics and a five-year warranty, with a red OLED display that's genuinely easier to read in low contrast conditions. If you want something ultracompact with a rechargeable battery, get the Bushnell. If you want a rangefinder built to last and easy to read in tricky light, get the Nikon.

What They Have in Common

Both are $299.99, both hit ±1 yard accuracy, both have slope with a legal-play toggle, and both mount magnetically to a cart. Six-power magnification on each. They'll reliably range a flag out to 350–400 yards. For most golfers playing most courses, either one does the actual rangefinder job without complaint.

Where They Differ

Size and Form Factor

This is the biggest split. The Bushnell A1-Slope is legitimately small — 3.75 inches long, 5.1 oz, and Bushnell bills it as their smallest ever. That's not just marketing padding; at those dimensions it fits in a shorts pocket without the telltale bulge. The Nikon is 4.5 inches and 7.2 oz, which is normal rangefinder size. Neither is a brick, but the Bushnell is noticeably more compact. If you walk and carry, or if you're tired of your rangefinder clanking around in your bag, the size gap is real.

Display and Optics

Here's where the Nikon earns its keep. The red OLED display is brighter and higher-contrast than the Bushnell's LCD — especially at dusk, on overcast days, or anytime you're trying to read a number in the shadow of your palm. LCD is fine in full sun. In flat light or low-light conditions, OLED is noticeably better. Nikon also includes their "Hyper Read" fast-acquisition tech and "Dual Locked-On Quake" vibration confirmation. Practically, this means the Nikon tends to lock on quickly and gives you a physical buzz when it does. The Bushnell doesn't list equivalent fast-acquisition tech in its specs, though at this price tier response times are generally quick across the board.

Battery Setup

Bushnell went USB-C rechargeable, rated at 50+ rounds or around 3,000 actuations. That's a meaningful design choice — no more hunting for CR2 batteries mid-trip. The Nikon runs on a CR2 lithium, rated at roughly 10,000 measurements. That's a lot of rounds on one battery, and CR2s are available at pretty much any pharmacy if you need one in a pinch. Neither approach is wrong. Rechargeable is more convenient over time; CR2 is more predictable when you just need it to work and don't want to think about it. Your preference probably already tells you which one you want.

Water Resistance and Warranty

The Nikon has IPX4 (splash-resistant), while the Bushnell carries IPX6 (protected against direct water jets). Neither is submersible, but if you play in rain regularly, IPX6 is meaningfully better protection. On the flip side, the Nikon ships with a five-year warranty versus Bushnell's standard coverage — and that warranty gap is hard to ignore on identical-priced products. Seems like Nikon is using the warranty to signal durability confidence, and it probably works, because it's one of the first things longtime Nikon rangefinder users mention.

Who Should Buy Which

Get the Bushnell A1-Slope if:

• You walk 18 holes and want a rangefinder that genuinely fits in a pocket — not "fits if you really commit," but actually fits
• You already have USB-C cables everywhere and the idea of stocking CR2 batteries sounds like a minor nuisance you'd rather avoid
• You play in rain enough that IPX6 over IPX4 is a real consideration, not a theoretical one
• You're the golfer who loses things and would rather replace a rechargeable unit than hunt down a dead battery before a 7am tee time

Get the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII if:

• You play early morning rounds — the 6:30am tee time in October when the sky is still grey and your LCD rangefinder is harder to read than it should be
• You want a five-year warranty and plan to be the person who keeps their gear for a long time
• You don't mind normal rangefinder size and prioritize display quality over form factor
• You'd rather have a known CR2 battery that you can swap at any pharmacy than manage a charging routine

The Bottom Line

At the same price, this comes down to what you actually care about. The Bushnell A1-Slope is a genuinely impressive pocket-sized unit with better water resistance. The Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII has the better display, more battery runtime per charge cycle, and a five-year warranty that's hard to walk past. For a rangefinder you're buying once and keeping, the Nikon's combination of OLED readability and warranty coverage edges it out. The Bushnell is the right call if compact size is your actual priority — but if you're neutral on size, I'd take the Nikon.

Get the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII.

See Also

• Bushnell A1-Slope vs Bushnell Tour V6
• Bushnell A1-Slope vs Shot Scope PRO ZR
• Bushnell Tour V6 vs Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII
• Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII vs Shot Scope PRO ZR
• Blue Tees Captain Pro vs Bushnell A1-Slope