Bushnell Tour V6 vs V6 Shift: Which Version to Buy, What It Costs and How Slope Works

There is no single “Bushnell Tour V6”. There is a plain Tour V6 with no slope at all, a Tour V6 Shift with the side Slope-Switch, and seasonal bundles such as the Patriot Pack — and they sit anywhere from about $160 to $400 depending on which one you are looking at and where. Buying the wrong one is the most expensive mistake on this model, because a plain V6 cannot be made to do slope later. This page decodes the versions, gives the price reality, and covers the slope switch and the CR2 battery once you own one.

Which Tour V6 is which

Both versions take the same CR2 cell and both carry the BITE magnet, so the only decision that matters is slope. If you are unsure whether you need it at all, the honest answer and the per-model mechanism are on rangefinders with slope, by how the switch works.

What it costs, honestly

Prices on this model are unusually spread, which is why “best price” is one of the things people search. Across retailer listings the core Tour V6 Shift sits roughly in the $330–400 band, with the broader range across sellers quoted from about $250 to $470. Seasonal bundles have appeared well below that — a Patriot Pack listed around $160 at one used-and-clearance retailer — and certified pre-owned units around $200.

Tour V6 Shift or a used Tour V5 Shift?

This is a real dilemma that owners argue about, and it usually comes down to one question: is a used previous-generation unit with slope better than a new current-generation unit without it? Almost always, yes — slope is the feature you cannot add later, and the optics between the two generations are close.

If you play in the wet regularly the newer body is the one worth having, because sealing is the specification that genuinely improved. Otherwise a good used V5 Shift is a sensible buy — the inspection checklist is on buying a used golf rangefinder, and the model-specific faults to look for are on the Tour V5 owner guide.

Turning slope on and off

On a Tour V6 Shift the Slope-Switch is a slider on the side of the body. Slide it so the orange indicator is visible and the unit gives you the compensated, plays-like number. Slide it back so the indicator is hidden and it reports true, straight-line distance — which is the state the Model Local Rule for distance-measuring devices requires in competition.

Two things owners get caught by. First, the indicator is the tell, not the click: check the colour, not the feel. Second, a plain V6 has no switch, so if you are hunting for one and cannot find it, you probably do not have a Shift.

Where the control lives on every other model, and which ones hide slope in a menu instead, is on how to turn slope off on a rangefinder. What the rules require by level of play is on are rangefinders legal in golf.

Setting one up, and switching units

1. Open the battery cover, pull the plastic tab, and fit the CR2 the right way round.
2. Turn the eyepiece until the display and reticle are sharp for your eye. This is focus, not zoom.
3. Press the power button once to wake it, again to fire at your target.
4. Set the Slope-Switch: indicator hidden for competition, visible for practice.
5. Check yards or meters in the display before you trust a number.
6. Hold the crosshairs on the flag and hold the button through the scan — JOLT vibrates and the reticle flashes when it has the pin rather than the trees.

If it is showing meters and you want yards, the per-model button sequences — including the V6 — are on meters to yards, per model. General aiming technique is on how to use a golf rangefinder.

Battery, cap, case and magnet

One CR2 3V lithium cell. Bushnell sells a genuine replacement battery cap that covers the Tour V7, V6 and V5 — one part for three models, which is worth knowing because the cap is the piece owners lose in long grass. The BITE magnet is built into the body, so you do not need a magnetic strap; you do need a case that closes around it.

• Bushnell batteries by model
• Bushnell cases by model
• Magnets and mounts — check whether you need one at all
• Cart holders — for push carts, where a magnet has nothing to grip

When a Tour V6 will not behave

The symptom-first table covering every brand is on rangefinder not working, and warranty routes are on rangefinder repair and warranty.