What They Have in Common
Both are 6x magnification laser rangefinders in the same price tier, accurate to within a yard at flagstick distances, and built to handle rain. Both use CR2 lithium batteries, which you can find at any pharmacy when the inevitable mid-round scramble happens. Neither requires charging, which is a small but real practical advantage over rechargeable competitors.
Where They Differ
Slope and Tournament Legality
Here's the most fundamental fork in the road: the Tour V6 has no slope mode at all. That's not an oversight — Bushnell explicitly built it for tournament play. You never have to flip a switch, check a setting, or worry about a slope indicator appearing in the display. It's clean. If you play competitive rounds where slope is prohibited, that peace of mind is worth something.
The COOLSHOT 40i GII has slope via its ID Technology, and it does include a slope-switch to toggle it off. But you'll toggle slope off for tournaments. You'll probably forget. That's not a knock on Nikon specifically — it's just how slope-switch units work in real life.
Accuracy and Optics Feel
On paper, the Nikon edges it out: ±0.75 yards versus Bushnell's ±1 yard. That's a tighter spec, and Nikon's Hyper Read technology is designed to give you fast, confident readings on the flag. Practically, both will read within a yard — you're not going to be able to distinguish the difference on the course. But if you want the better number on the spec sheet, it's the Nikon.
The Bushnell's Pinseeker with Visual Jolt gives you a vibration and visual confirmation when you've locked the flag rather than something behind it. If you've ever pointed at a flag and wondered whether you got the tree line, you know why this matters. Nikon's Locked On does similar work — it's first-target priority, so it's designed to prioritize the closest object (usually the flag). Both approaches solve the same problem; they just do it differently.
Weight, Size, and Handling
The weight difference here is significant. The COOLSHOT 40i GII is 5.6 oz. The Tour V6 is 8.7 oz. That's over three ounces — you'll feel it. The Nikon is also described as compact, and the dimensions back that up. If you carry your bag or hate having anything heavy in your pocket, the Nikon is noticeably more comfortable to use.
The Bushnell has the BITE magnet mount, which sticks cleanly to most cart rails and saves you the fumbling-around routine on every hole. That's a real convenience feature if you ride. The Nikon doesn't offer anything equivalent in the spec data.
Warranty and Water Resistance
Nikon backs the COOLSHOT 40i GII with a five-year warranty, which is genuinely longer than most rangefinders carry. The Tour V6's warranty isn't listed in the spec data, so I can't compare them directly — but five years from Nikon is worth noting. Seems like Nikon uses the warranty to signal confidence in build quality, which is either legitimate or good marketing, probably both.
Water resistance: the Tour V6 is IPX6, which handles strong water jets. The Nikon's waterproofing is described as IPX4-equivalent — splash-resistant and fine for rain, but not quite the same standard. For most rounds this is irrelevant. If you play in genuinely miserable conditions regularly, the Bushnell has the edge.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the Bushnell Tour V6 if:
- You play competitive amateur golf and want a rangefinder you can hand to a rules official without hesitation — no slope, no switch, no question.
- You ride a cart and want the BITE magnet to hold it to the rail every hole without a second thought.
- You play in heavy rain or morning dew conditions where IPX6 protection actually matters.
- You want the haptic Pinseeker feedback and find visual-only confirmation less satisfying.
Get the Nikon COOLSHOT 40i GII if:
- You're a 15-handicap who plays casual weekend rounds and wants adjusted yardages for the hilly par-3s your home course is full of — slope makes the $249 decision obvious.
- You carry your bag and notice the weight of everything on your hip by hole 12.
- You want the five-year warranty and the tighter ±0.75 accuracy spec for the same tier of use.
- You want to spend $50 less and put the difference toward something you'll actually lose before the rangefinder dies.
The Bottom Line
If you play competitive golf, the Tour V6 is the right tool — no-slope-by-design is cleaner than slope-with-a-switch. But for everyone else, the COOLSHOT 40i GII wins on points: it's lighter, cheaper, has slope, a tighter accuracy spec, and a five-year warranty. The $50 savings is real. The weight savings is real. The slope is genuinely useful for most golfers most of the time. I'd go with the Nikon unless tournament play is a regular part of your schedule.
Get the Nikon COOLSHOT 40i GII.
See Also