The Quick Verdict
Get the Voice Caddie TL1. For $50 more, you get slope compensation, a dual-color OLED display with three brightness levels, and a lighter unit at 7.1 oz versus 8.7 oz — that's a meaningful feature step for a modest price difference. The slope data and sharper display make it the more useful rangefinder in actual practice rounds, which is most of what most of us play. The discontinued Bushnell Tour V6 is worth tracking down on clearance only if you compete regularly in stroke-play events and want a rangefinder that's always tournament-legal without touching a settings menu. Check price at Voice Caddie →
What They Have in Common
Both are 6x magnification rangefinders with ±1 yard accuracy, built-in magnets for cart attachment, and CR2 battery power. They're priced in the same tier and built for the same golfer: someone who wants a reliable laser without going to $400+. Neither is a budget unit doing budget-unit things.
Where They Differ
Slope and Tournament Use
Here's the clearest split between these two: the Tour V6 has no slope mode at all. Not a toggleable slope mode — just no slope. That means it's always tournament-legal, no settings to check, no chance of accidentally leaving slope on during a stroke-play round. If you compete regularly, that simplicity has real value. You'll toggle slope off for tournaments with a slope-enabled unit. You'll probably forget at least once.
The TL1 has slope via what Voice Caddie calls its V-Algorithm. It's on by default, presumably, and you'd need to disable it for competition. Whether you find that inconvenient or irrelevant depends entirely on how often you're playing in events with equipment rules.
Display
The TL1 runs a dual-color OLED display with three brightness levels. The Tour V6 is LCD. This is a real difference in practice — OLED tends to read sharper and handles low-light conditions better than LCD. Reading a rangefinder in the shade of your hand on a bright day is different from reading one in full sun, and display quality is where you feel that. The three brightness settings on the TL1 give you something to actually adjust; the Tour V6's LCD is what it is.
Weight and Feel
The TL1 is noticeably lighter — 7.1 oz versus 8.7 oz on the Tour V6. That's 1.6 oz, which isn't a lot in absolute terms, but you'll feel it over 18 holes of pulling it in and out of a pocket or bag loop. The TL1 also ships with a silicone sleeve, which helps with grip and adds a little protection without adding much bulk.
Range and Water Resistance
The Tour V6 specs out to 1,300 yards total range (500+ to the flag), vs. 1,000 yards on the TL1. Honest answer: most golfers won't flag anything past 300 yards in actual play, so this gap is mostly academic. The Tour V6 has a formal IPX6 water resistance rating; the TL1 is listed as water-resistant without a specific rating. IPX6 means it can handle sustained heavy rain — Voice Caddie's spec is vaguer. If you play in serious weather, that ambiguity is worth noting.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the Bushnell Tour V6 if:
- You play in club events, net tournaments, or any round where the rules of equipment apply — it's always legal, no mode-switching required.
- You tee off at 6:30am on October mornings when it's wet and cold, and you want a unit with a named water resistance rating behind it.
- You've used Bushnell before and trust the brand. They're the most common rangefinder on tour for a reason, and the support network is real.
- You don't care about slope. If you've never used it, you won't miss it.
Get the Voice Caddie TL1 if:
- You're a 10–18 handicap doing a lot of casual practice rounds where slope data actually helps you dial in club selection on hilly courses.
- You want the sharpest possible display. OLED with brightness control is a genuine upgrade over standard LCD, and you'll notice it on bright afternoons.
- You're hard on gear and want something lighter that's easier to carry without the rangefinder feeling like dead weight by the back nine.
- The $50 extra doesn't sting — and the slope mode plus OLED make it feel worth the step up.
The Bottom Line
The Tour V6 is the safer, simpler choice — proven optics, always tournament-legal, IPX6 rated. The TL1 is the better all-around unit if you want slope and a better display, but it costs more and the water resistance spec is softer. Seems like Voice Caddie is betting the display and slope combo justifies the price; for a lot of golfers, it does.
If you compete even occasionally, the Tour V6's always-legal simplicity is worth the tradeoff. If you're strictly recreational and want the sharper feature set, take the TL1.