The Quick Verdict
Get the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII. It's $100 cheaper, it's still in production, and the red OLED display is genuinely better to read than the V6 Shift's LCD in most conditions. The Bushnell Tour V6 Shift was a solid rangefinder in its day, but it's discontinued — meaning you'd be hunting closeout stock and buying into a product Bushnell is no longer supporting. The Nikon is the one you can actually buy with confidence. Check price at Amazon →
What They Have in Common
Both rangefinders hit ±1 yard accuracy, offer 6x magnification, and include slope with a tournament-legal switch to turn it off. Both use CR2 lithium batteries (the kind you can find at any pharmacy when one dies on you mid-round). Both have a magnet mount for your cart rail. The core rangefinder experience is comparable — you point, you get a number, you hit the shot.
Where They Differ
Display Technology
This is the real difference. The Bushnell V6 Shift uses an LCD display; the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII uses a red internal OLED. The OLED wins in most real conditions — it tends to read more clearly in variable light, and the red-on-black contrast is easy on the eyes when you're squinting into a bright sky. LCD displays can wash out. Nobody reads a rangefinder in perfect studio lighting; they read it with one eye closed and the sun somewhere inconvenient. Edge to Nikon here.
Water Resistance
The V6 Shift is rated IPX6, which means it handles serious rain — jets of water, essentially. The COOLSHOT 50i GII is IPX4, which covers splashing from any direction but not a direct stream. Practically speaking, IPX4 handles a rainy round just fine; you'd have to be in a downpour and pointing the thing directly at the sky to notice the difference. But if you regularly play in heavy weather, the Bushnell's IPX6 rating is the better spec.
Slope Technology and Feel
Both have slope and a slope switch for tournament play — and yes, you'll toggle slope off when you need to, and yes, you'll probably forget to toggle it back on for the pro-am. The Bushnell calls its system Slope with PinSeeker and Visual Jolt; the Nikon calls its ID Technology with Dual Locked-On Quake. The Nikon's vibration confirmation (what it calls "Quake") pulses twice when it locks on a flag specifically, which some golfers find more intuitive than a single buzz. Both work, both confirm lock. It's a marginal edge to the Nikon for clarity of feedback, but this won't change your game.
The Discontinued Problem
Here's the thing that actually settles this: the Tour V6 Shift is discontinued. That means no new stock being produced, no future firmware support, and whatever you find is whatever's left. The Nikon, by contrast, comes with a 5-year warranty and is actively sold. Paying closeout prices for an older product you can't get serviced isn't a deal — it's deferred risk.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII if:
- You want a rangefinder you can buy new, warranty intact, without wondering if it's old stock that's been sitting in a warehouse.
- You play early morning rounds when dew is on everything and need a display that reads clearly in low and variable light — the red OLED earns its keep here.
- You're the golfer who plays 40+ rounds a year and wants a rangefinder that'll be supported and replaceable five years from now.
- You'd rather spend the $100 difference on something useful. That's a couple of sleeves of balls, a new glove, or a decent twilight green fee.
Get the Bushnell Tour V6 Shift if:
- You find one on clearance for significantly under $299 and want a proven rangefinder at a steep discount — it's a good unit, just not a good buy at full MSRP against the Nikon.
- You play in genuinely heavy, sustained rain and the IPX6 rating matters more to you than a warranty or OLED display.
The Bottom Line
The COOLSHOT 50i GII costs less, has a better display, and is a product you can actually buy new and have supported if something goes wrong. The V6 Shift was a quality rangefinder, but "discontinued at $399" is a losing position against "current production at $299." There's no version of this comparison where the Bushnell wins on value. Get the Nikon, use the money you saved, and dial in your yardages with a rangefinder that still has a future.