Forgive me for the oversimplified question, but what's wrong with the red display?
Bushnell Tour X Rangefinder Review Thread
I'm just used to the black display, from my time with the Tour V3
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Nate...bam...served on the pics. Well done indeed.
So, took the Bushnell out for the first time to the range yesterday, and to the course today. One of the things I like most about having a rangefinder is being able to shoot targets at the range. It really helps "practice with a purpose". The range I go to has a number of flags, and an approximate distance posted at the tees, but from the bay I was hitting in, the distances were off by as much as 30 yards. The first thing I noticed when I started shooting the flags was how fast this rangefinder works. Getting a distance is practically instant. I brought my old rangefinder for comparison, and while we are talking small number of seconds, it's amazing how different it felt. One other thing I thinks this helps with is shooting faraway pins. If you can get the distance quickly, shaky hands are less of an issue. The Jolt feature is also great for knowing your distance is locked in, and I think that speeds up usage, rather than waiting to make sure the numbers don't change.
I went to a course today to both get a feel of how the Bushnell worked on course, as well as test the slope feature. There are a few approaches on this course with elevation changes, and both par 3s are uphill. I'll highlight a couple here.
This par 3 is basically the devil, especially with today's pin placement. Plays between 135-155 depending on pin placement and where the tee is. The green slopes back to front, and there's a bit of a false front. Miss short and you're rolling down that hill. Miss long, and you've got a chip that may roll off the front of the green. Getting pin high is almost a necessity to score here. The pin was up front, and I shot it at 131. The Tour X said to play it as 135, which is perfect for my 9i, and the club I play in this case
The second par 3 is longer, and this is a hole I always have trouble picking the right club on. Again, uphill. Pin in front again. Playing about 160, rangefinder says to play 165. I would have likely grabbed one more club if I was choosing. Hung it out to the right and ended up pin high.
The final hole I wanted to try this on (which I forgot to snap a picture on) is a sharp dogleg left. A well struck heavenwood will usually leave me between 100 and 125 depending on how aggressive I get with the line. The slope looks minimal, but I often found myself taking too much club when I first started playing this course. The rangefinder suggested taking 6 yards off the measured distance, and once again I was just about pin high on a well struck shot.
I'm very impressed with this device do far. The slope feature works as advertised. The slope measurement takes a little bit longer than just the distance, but I'd say this is on the order of the time it took to just get the distance on my old unit. I also didn't run into the issue of accidentally layering a tree behind the green. The second picture shows an approach typical of the courses I play around here, with trees immediately behind the green. I also found those shots were a great time to use the red display - it really shows up against the darker background.
All in all, I'm extremely impressed so far. I'm planning on playing a round up in the mountains in the near future to poke at the slope feature a bit more.
I went to a course today to both get a feel of how the Bushnell worked on course, as well as test the slope feature. There are a few approaches on this course with elevation changes, and both par 3s are uphill. I'll highlight a couple here.
This par 3 is basically the devil, especially with today's pin placement. Plays between 135-155 depending on pin placement and where the tee is. The green slopes back to front, and there's a bit of a false front. Miss short and you're rolling down that hill. Miss long, and you've got a chip that may roll off the front of the green. Getting pin high is almost a necessity to score here. The pin was up front, and I shot it at 131. The Tour X said to play it as 135, which is perfect for my 9i, and the club I play in this case
The second par 3 is longer, and this is a hole I always have trouble picking the right club on. Again, uphill. Pin in front again. Playing about 160, rangefinder says to play 165. I would have likely grabbed one more club if I was choosing. Hung it out to the right and ended up pin high.
The final hole I wanted to try this on (which I forgot to snap a picture on) is a sharp dogleg left. A well struck heavenwood will usually leave me between 100 and 125 depending on how aggressive I get with the line. The slope looks minimal, but I often found myself taking too much club when I first started playing this course. The rangefinder suggested taking 6 yards off the measured distance, and once again I was just about pin high on a well struck shot.
I'm very impressed with this device do far. The slope feature works as advertised. The slope measurement takes a little bit longer than just the distance, but I'd say this is on the order of the time it took to just get the distance on my old unit. I also didn't run into the issue of accidentally layering a tree behind the green. The second picture shows an approach typical of the courses I play around here, with trees immediately behind the green. I also found those shots were a great time to use the red display - it really shows up against the darker background.
All in all, I'm extremely impressed so far. I'm planning on playing a round up in the mountains in the near future to poke at the slope feature a bit more.
T2GRN18
Active member
For me with regards to red or black. It depends on the backdrop of what I'm shooting. If its heavily dense trees, then red pops better. Where as on like a links style black works better for my eye. The beauty is how quick it is to toggle back and forth. It's a pretty nice feature IMO
That's what I've found as well. Both are readable in pretty much all conditions but the red "pops" against a dark background.
- Moderator
- #109
It really does. It pops a little too much for me, but then again I was used to the 1500 for years so the red is way bright in comparison. In dark lot areas though, the red is way useful.
There are 4 brightness levels that you can adjust for that very issue. Putting it on the lowest would take care of that issue I think.
DevRickus
The Dirty Jerz
- Moderator
- #112
It does a better job yeah but it still annoys me. It's all personal opinion though.
That's very tempting.
Drew Z
New member
Not only do I love mine, but so do my friends. Even when I play with strangers they are excited to get some yardage reads. Personally, I rarely switch from black to red. The black is more clear for me except if it is getting darker. This thing works perfect, and I have had no issues with it at all. (4 months of use)
There are a couple of very minor issues(annoyances), one is that the battery gauge seems to stay at 3 bars without lowering to 2 or 1 before going dead and the other is the rangefinder can stay "on" when left in a cup holder. The cup holder can can force the "button" to be pressed and drain the battery. Both minor issues as I carry an extra battery anyway.
Highly recommended
There are a couple of very minor issues(annoyances), one is that the battery gauge seems to stay at 3 bars without lowering to 2 or 1 before going dead and the other is the rangefinder can stay "on" when left in a cup holder. The cup holder can can force the "button" to be pressed and drain the battery. Both minor issues as I carry an extra battery anyway.
Highly recommended
T2GRN18
Active member
That's a solid price. Cheaper then many drivers on the market and will likely last longer than one these days.
Funny story ALERT to begin so bear with me. Took the Tour X out to the course on Saturday AM where I played with BigTex, cwmonroe87 and kapsularian. Use it on the 1st hole for my 2nd shot into the par 5. Used on the 2nd hole to laser my yardage for my 2nd shot into the par 4. Get up to the 3rd hole and get a yardage of 154 to the par 3. I then hear cwmonroe87 and BigTex saying to each other, "169 to the pin". Say WHAT?! I shoot it again, 154. As soon as I got that reading the light bulb goes off and I hear the others say, "You have it on meters don't ya?". Dadgummit!!! As the pictures illustrated in my previous post, I did have it set on M and even though it was pointed out, I never changed it back to yards. Lesson learned.
Well, after that, the guys never trusted a yardage I gave them which was understandable. I used the Tour X with the slope lens the entire round. It was pretty nice to have that true yardage given along with the slope adjustment. I can see that being very handy on a few elevated par 3's in the future.
The one thing I took away from the round was how quick the yardage was returned. It was instant. It was fast.
I didn't think I would like the vibrating pulse as much as I do. I've heard people in the past talk about that pulse being a nice confirmation and I totally get that now. It is very nice to have.
Round 1 in the books with the Tour X and it's doing what it's suppose to be doing; fast yardage returns with a gentle vibrating pulse on pins, crystal clear picture and a nice black or red display for each yardage given.
Well, after that, the guys never trusted a yardage I gave them which was understandable. I used the Tour X with the slope lens the entire round. It was pretty nice to have that true yardage given along with the slope adjustment. I can see that being very handy on a few elevated par 3's in the future.
The one thing I took away from the round was how quick the yardage was returned. It was instant. It was fast.
I didn't think I would like the vibrating pulse as much as I do. I've heard people in the past talk about that pulse being a nice confirmation and I totally get that now. It is very nice to have.
Round 1 in the books with the Tour X and it's doing what it's suppose to be doing; fast yardage returns with a gentle vibrating pulse on pins, crystal clear picture and a nice black or red display for each yardage given.
Howzat
I'd Rather Be At The Hideaway
Basically what I expected to hear. It flat out works. I had my 8 yr. old with me for my round yesterday and he had no problem using it to get me the distance. Even with his little shakey hands.
T2GRN18
Active member
This weekends round was an interesting go with the Tour X. I've gotten used to using my GPS watch over the season. Which has been decent for yardages. However brig equipped with the Tour X and the GPS watch was an entirely different game. I found it very beneficial to work both throughout the round. I'm finding as I get more comfortable with the TourX the less I look at the GPS. Admittedly I've become a little to dependent on the slope, so it's such a solid tool to have during the round. After 4 rounds with this in the bag, and playing with it around the house and job site the battery still shows a full charge.
- Moderator
- #119
Oh wow, that just solved any issue I had with price. At 400, it seems like this is as good as it gets in terms of rangefinding.
Have you given it a go during a round without the slope? I'm wondering how much correction it does and if you can figure a way to guesstimate it in your head if/when using it in tournament play...
The nice thing is that it gives you both the true distance and the "plays as" when you have the slope on. So you can get a feel for the corrections as you go.
- Moderator
- #122
Used mine no slope all weekend during the BSG championship. Granted there's at most a 3yd difference, you just have to commit to the shot and if you know it's up and down a little to the eye, use a bit of natural feel.
Now if it's a 30ft drop or something then you're a little in trouble, but I'd hope you'd play the course a few times to know a rough idea!
T2GRN18
Active member
Bushnell Tour X Rangefinder Review Thread
Agree with Wardy and Pete on this one. And quite honestly it's a nice to have feature, but if I get 137 with straight laser and with slope it says 138.6 my game is such that the accuracy with the slope is only as good as me controlling the distance as accurately.
Agree with Wardy and Pete on this one. And quite honestly it's a nice to have feature, but if I get 137 with straight laser and with slope it says 138.6 my game is such that the accuracy with the slope is only as good as me controlling the distance as accurately.
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T2GRN18
Active member
Interesting note from a late evening range session. I was using this tonight to pick out a few targets for some wedge work. The range looks dead into the setting sun. I expected to have some issues with picking up distances with the sun sitting so low. I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to see very clearly with little effect from the glare. I did use the black as apposed to red display tonight.
I'm more of a fan of the black in sunlight than the red. Thinking on a more cloudy day I'll probably use the red.