What They Have in Common
Both are 6x rangefinders priced at $299.99, both run on CR2 lithium batteries, and both claim ±1 yard accuracy. Each has a magnet mount for cart use, water resistance to handle a light rain, and enough range to cover any realistic shot you'd ever attempt. That's a solid baseline — the differences come down to what you need beyond it.
Where They Differ
Slope and Tournament Use
The biggest fork in the road is slope. The COOLSHOT 50i GII has it; the Tour V6 doesn't. The Nikon includes a physical slope-switch toggle to flip it off for tournament rounds, which is how most slope-equipped rangefinders handle USGA compliance. The Tour V6 skips the whole conversation — it's a no-slope unit, so it's always legal, no toggling required.
Here's the thing: if you play competitive golf where slope is prohibited, that toggle is one more thing to manage on the first tee. You'll mean to check it. You'll probably forget at least once. The Tour V6 just removes that variable.
If you only play casual rounds, though, slope is genuinely useful — especially on courses with significant elevation changes where a flat 160-yard number is meaningfully different from the plays-like yardage.
Display
This is where the Nikon pulls ahead for most golfers. The COOLSHOT 50i GII uses a red internal OLED display. The Tour V6 uses a standard LCD. In shaded conditions or low light, OLED wins — the contrast is noticeably better. LCD rangefinders are fine in direct sunlight, but nobody's reading a rangefinder in direct sunlight; they're reading it in the shade of their own hand. An OLED display is genuinely easier in that context.
Water Resistance
The Tour V6 carries an IPX6 rating — it can handle direct water jets. The COOLSHOT 50i GII is IPX4, which means splash-resistant, not waterproof. If you play in real Pacific Northwest rain or you're just hard on gear, IPX6 is meaningfully more protection. IPX4 will handle a light shower but you'd be more careful in a downpour.
Target Acquisition and Feedback
Bushnell's Pinseeker with Visual Jolt gives you a haptic-style vibration burst when it locks onto the flag — you feel it, not just see it. The COOLSHOT 50i GII uses what Nikon calls Dual Locked-On Quake, which is their version of the same idea. Both systems work, and both are designed to help you distinguish the flagstick from a tree or cart path marker behind it. Nikon also claims its Hyper Read technology delivers fast readings — probably sub-second — though both of these units are quick enough that speed won't be a practical differentiator on the course.
Warranty
Five years from Nikon versus Bushnell's standard coverage is a real gap in paper value, even if most rangefinders that survive year one tend to survive for a while. Seems like Nikon is using that warranty to make a statement about build confidence, which matters given Bushnell's longer track record in laser rangefinders.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the Bushnell Tour V6 if:
- You play competitive or club golf where slope has to be off — you'd rather not think about it
- You live somewhere it actually rains (IPX6 buys you real peace of mind)
- You've owned Bushnell before and trust the platform; the V6 is a reliable continuation of that
- You want the rangefinder to be as simple as possible: point, shoot, get a number
Get the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII if:
- You're the 16-handicap who plays weekend rounds with friends and wants slope for those uphill par 3s where distance and yardage never match
- You play early mornings or in low-light conditions where a bright OLED display actually earns its keep
- The five-year warranty matters to you — maybe you've owned gear that went sideways in year three
- You want a slightly lighter unit; at 7.2 oz versus 8.7 oz, the Nikon is noticeably trimmer over 18 holes in a shirt pocket
The Bottom Line
At identical prices, this comes down to slope and display versus weather resistance and simplicity. The Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII is the better everyday rangefinder for most golfers — slope is useful, OLED is genuinely easier to read, and five years of warranty coverage is hard to ignore. The Tour V6 earns its keep for anyone who plays competitive golf and doesn't want to manage a toggle, or anyone who plays in conditions where IPX6 actually matters.
I'd go with the COOLSHOT 50i GII for the display alone, with the slope as a bonus. If your game is primarily casual rounds, it's the better call at this price.
Get the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII.
See Also