Best CR2 Battery for a Golf Rangefinder: Duracell vs Energizer vs Panasonic vs Budget Packs

The best CR2 battery for a golf rangefinder is a name-brand 3-volt lithium cell from Duracell, Energizer or Panasonic, the three brands Bushnell and Leupold tell owners to use. On the makers’ own datasheets Duracell rates its CR2 highest at 920 mAh, Panasonic at 850 and Energizer at 800. Budget packs cost under $2.25 a cell, but their “1,000 mAh” claims come with no published test.

Best CR2 battery for a rangefinder: the comparison

Figures come from each maker’s datasheet or product page; budget-brand figures are the seller’s own listing claims. Per-cell prices are our arithmetic on the pack prices.

CR2 battery	Rated capacity	Operating range	Storage life (maker’s claim)	Typical US price	Per cell
Duracell CR2 (DLCR2)	920 mAh (100 Ω to 2 V)	−4 to 167 °F	Guaranteed 10 years in storage	2-pack $13–17	$6.70–8.45
Panasonic CR2	850 mAh (no test load stated)	−40 to 158 °F*	Up to 10 years (retailer)	2-pack $8.50–9	$4.25–4.50
Energizer CR2 (EL1CR2)	800 mAh (100 Ω to 2 V, 70 °F)	−40 to 140 °F	Up to 10 years	2-pack $7–13	$3.60–6.45
Amazon Basics CR2	800 mAh (listing)	Not stated	Not stated (“low self-discharge”)	6-pack deals at $6.86–7.40 (2021, 2023)	About $1.15–1.25 on deal
Budget golf-labelled packs (Enegitech, Batteriol, BONAI)	900–1,000 mAh (seller claim, no test basis)	Not stated	“10 years” (seller)	4–12 packs $7–19	$1.60–2.25

Which CR2 should you buy?

• You play every week and hate swapping batteries: Duracell. Its 920 mAh rating is about 15% above Energizer’s on paper, and Duracell guarantees 10 years in storage.
• You play in the cold: Energizer or Panasonic, both rated to −40 °F. Duracell’s datasheet stops at −4 °F. Whatever the brand, carry the rangefinder in an inside pocket on frosty mornings, as Leica’s manual advises.
• You want a spare in the bag for the least money: a Panasonic or Energizer 2-pack, or a budget 6-pack if you accept unverified capacity claims.
• Your rangefinder came with a USB-C port: you need no CR2 at all. Check the rangefinder battery finder before you order.

The CR2 batteries in detail

Duracell CR2 (DLCR2): most rated capacity

Duracell’s North American datasheet rates the DLCR2 at 920 mAh on a continuous 100-ohm load down to 2 volts, with a fresh voltage of 3.2–3.3 V and self-discharge under 1% after a year at room temperature. Duracell guarantees it for 10 years in storage and recommends storing it at 41–86 °F. The weak spot on paper is the cold: the rated operating range starts at −4 °F, against −40 °F for Energizer and Panasonic. It is also the dearest of the three, about $13–17 for two at Walmart.

Panasonic CR2: best price per cell of the big three

Panasonic’s July 2024 datasheet gives 850 mAh, a 20 mA standard drain, 11 g and an operating range of −40 to 158 °F, though Panasonic asks to be consulted for use below −4 °F. It does not state the test load behind the 850 mAh, and the “up to 10 years” shelf life comes from a retailer, not Panasonic. Two-packs ran $8.49–8.99 at Walmart, about $4.25 a cell, and Leupold names “Panasonic Industrial CR2” among its three recommended cells.

Energizer CR2 (EL1CR2): the one every store stocks

Energizer rates its CR2 at 800 mAh on a 100-ohm load to 2 volts at 70 °F, the most fully specified test of the three, and lists an operating range of −40 to 140 °F. A built-in PTC device limits current if the cell is shorted. Energizer says it holds power for up to 10 years in storage. It is the easiest CR2 to buy in person: Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Lowe’s and Home Depot all carry the EL1CR2BP2 two-pack, priced between $7.19 at Target and $12.87 at Home Depot when we checked.

Amazon Basics CR2

Amazon’s own CR2 is listed as an 800 mAh 3-volt lithium cell in 4-, 6- and 12-packs. The listing gives no shelf life in years and no temperature range beyond “reliable in extreme temps”. Its appeal is price: 6-packs have dropped to around $7 in past deals, close to $1.15 a cell.

Budget CR2 packs sold “for golf rangefinders”

Enegitech, Batteriol and BONAI sell CR2s with “golf rangefinder” in the title, rated at 900–1,000 mAh with a “10 years” shelf life and PTC protection. None publishes a datasheet, test load or temperature range, and 1,000 mAh is more than any major brand claims for the same size, so treat it as marketing. At $1.60–2.25 a cell in 6- to 12-packs they are still a sensible way to stock the bag, the glovebox and the drawer. Buy from a seller that accepts returns.

Does battery capacity matter in a rangefinder?

Less than the numbers suggest. Capacity is measured on a steady low drain, while a laser rangefinder draws short bursts each time you press the button, so 920 against 800 mAh does not translate into 15% more rounds. What makers publish per battery:

• Precision Pro NX9: about 50 rounds on one CR2.
• Nikon COOLSHOT 20i GIII: about 10,000 measurements at 68 °F, which Nikon calls a guide only.
• Leupold GX-3c and GX-5c: more than 4,000 actuations.
• Bushnell: the first battery should last a few months; replace it at least every six months.

Heat, cold and age matter as much as brand. A two-year-old cell from a hot glovebox will die before a fresh budget one.

Rechargeable CR2 batteries: should you use one?

Some rechargeables are sold as 3.0 V, typically LiFePO4 cells. Their capacity is lower: one 400 mAh-rated cell measured about half that in an independent test. A disposable CR2 that lasts months for a few dollars is the simpler choice. The full voltage comparison is in CR2 vs CR123A and what can replace a CR2.

How many CR2s to buy, and how to store them

One in the rangefinder and one in the bag covers most golfers; Bushnell’s support pages say to carry one or two spares. Lithium CR2s lose under 1% a year in storage at room temperature, so a 6-pack bought now will still be good in several seasons. Keep spares in their packaging so the terminals cannot short against keys or coins, and keep them out of a hot car: Duracell recommends storing at 41–86 °F.

Which rangefinders take a CR2?

Almost every golf laser: the Bushnell Tour and Pro range, the Callaway 300 Pro, Precision Pro NX models, Nikon COOLSHOT and the CR2 versions of Blue Tees. The exceptions take a CR123A or charge over USB-C. Look yours up in the rangefinder battery finder, or go straight to the Bushnell rangefinder battery or Blue Tees rangefinder battery page.

Best CR2 battery FAQ