Bushnell Tour V6 vs Garmin Laser Z82: the rangefinder comparison every golfer needs

The laser rangefinder market has reached a consensus on performance. The two dominant products in the £300–400 bracket — Bushnell Tour V6 and Garmin Laser Z82 — are both excellent, both accurate, and both genuinely hard to separate on raw distance measurement. The difference is in the features around that core capability.

Bushnell Tour V6 Slope (£349): The market leader in the UK for good reason. The PinSeeker with JOLT technology — a vibration pulse when the laser locks onto the pin rather than background foliage — is the most reliable target-lock confirmation in the category. Slope mode calculates the 'plays like' distance based on elevation change between your ball and the pin. The magnetic charging case is a genuine convenience improvement over previous models. Accuracy: ±0.5 yards to 450 yards in optimal conditions. In my testing, the JOLT confirmation is the single most useful feature for players who struggle to distinguish pin lock from tree lock.

Garmin Laser Z82 (£449): Garmin's premium rangefinder combines laser distance with GPS mapping on a small screen. When you range the pin, the Z82 simultaneously shows you hazard distances from your GPS position — so you see the carry distance to the bunker on the right as well as the distance to the pin. This integration of laser and GPS in a single device is genuinely useful and is the primary reason to pay the extra £100 over the Bushnell. The Z82 is also built to a slightly higher physical standard — it feels more substantial in the hand, and the optics are marginally clearer.

Which to buy: if you want the most reliable pin-lock laser at the best price: Bushnell Tour V6. If you want the GPS-integrated approach that shows hazards simultaneously: Garmin Z82. If your budget is under £200: the Bushnell Pro XE (previous model, now reduced) and the Callaway 300 Pro are both solid and have been around long enough to have proven reliability.

On slope mode and tournament play: slope mode rangefinders are not permitted in competition under USGA and R&A rules (though this is being reconsidered for amateur events). Every slope rangefinder sold in the UK has a mode that disables slope for competition. Before any competition round, engage non-slope mode and leave it there.

The honest admission: after a full season of using the Garmin Z82, I no longer carry a separate GPS watch during rounds. The rangefinder tells me the laser distance to the pin plus hazard distances from my GPS position. For golfers who primarily want accurate distance information and are happy carrying a rangefinder throughout, the Z82 effectively replaces both devices.