I would class myself as an open-minded person in relation to most things in life - I like to try new food from time to time, I tend to switch up which coffee shops I go to and I tend to switch up my holiday destination each year. One thing I've found myself NOT doing has been trying different brands of rangefinders - the best Bushnell rangefinders have me covered in that regard.
Earlier this year I tested and reviewed the Bushnell A1-Slope, for example, and loved it. It has remained in my setup since, and as I browsed Amazon 24 hours before the beginning of their massive Prime Big Deals Days sales (7th-8th October), part of me was hoping to find one of the top Bushnell models on sale.
Testing the A1-Slope at Royal County Down earlier this year
Pleasingly, I did. The fabulous Pro X3+ has a neat discount, so I documented it in my 9 early Prime Big Deals Day bargains as a result. However, it was after writing that piece I found arguably the best golf rangefinder deal of the day - and this is before the event has even started!
If you're after a compact, accurate rangefinder that delivers plenty of value for money then you're in luck. The Nikon Coolshot 20i GIII not only sounds like a gadget you'd see James Bond using, but it makes for a very serviceable distance measuring device.
There are a number of reasons I would recommend to you this rangefinder, and I'm sure our tester Joe Ferguson would endorse said reasons. The first place we have to start is the price - golf has become a very expensive sport to play and the top premium rangefinders with the fancy features and gadgets can cost you close to $500 at retail. The Coolshot 20i GIII delivers excellent performance for less than $200, with a neat 25% discount for Amazon Prime Big Deals Days.
It isn't the most eye-catching rangefinder on the market, but Nikon have let the performance do the talking here instead
Nikon is one of the world's leading providers of imaging products, honing their craft in optical technologies for over 100 years. Their arrival into the golf space a number of years ago was a breath of fresh air, immediately positioning themselves as a serious contender for the crown of best rangefinder manufacturers. As you can imagine, the display on offer here is pristine, but it isn't just a clear view of whats ahead of you that appealed to us during testing. With a measurement range between 6-800 yards, there isn’t a long driver in the world that can out-hit the 20i GIII’s capacity. Nikon says that it is accurate to within 1 yard/meter up to 100 meters and 2 yards/meters above this range, so, in theory, you can be very confident in your numbers when attacking any flag.
Picking out flags on the 6x magnified display is made even easier thanks to the ‘Locked On Quake’ feature that sends a small vibration to the device to give you feedback when you successfully zapped your target. You can also switch to the continuous measurement function and scan your surroundings, receiving updated yardages as you do so and allowing you to gauge distance to any feature on each hole, be that the end of a water hazard, the lip of a bunker or any notable part of the green you can see.
The Coolshot's carry case is another tick in the positives box
A high-quality, serviceable protective case looks great and adds a cherry on top of the cake and will keep your device safe as you strap it to the side of your bag. In terms of value for money, this is the best budget rangefinder deal we've found so far this week, but be sure to keep an eye on the buying advice section of the Golf Monthly website as well as our Prime Big Deals Day Live hub for all the best golf equipment discounts, from clubs and shoe to gadgets and apparel!
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