Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized: Battery, Slope, Manual and Buying One Now Nikon Has Withdrawn

The Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized takes a single CR2 3V lithium battery behind a screw cap, has a slope function that must be switched off in competition, and is built around optical stabilisation — the feature the “Stabilized” in the name refers to, and the reason owners keep them long after newer units appear. The complication in 2026 is that Nikon has wound down its golf laser line, so this is now a used-market purchase and parts availability is the first thing to check.

Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized at a glance

  • Battery: one CR2 3V lithium, screw cap on the body
  • Slope: yes — present on the Pro Stabilized models, absent on the Coolshot 20 and 40
  • Optical stabilisation is the defining feature of the Pro Stabilized line
  • Nikon has wound down its golf laser range — treat as a used buy
  • Check parts and service availability before paying a premium for one
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the order of a table. How we work.

Specifications we can confirm

Only figures traceable to Nikon’s own documentation are listed. Where something is not confirmed it says so, which matters more than usual on a discontinued model: the internet is full of recycled figures for withdrawn products that nobody can check any more.

ItemCoolshot Pro II StabilizedConfirmed by
BatteryOne CR2 3V lithiumNikon documentation
Battery accessScrew cap on the bodyNikon documentation
SlopeYes, on Pro Stabilized modelsNikon documentation
StabilisationOptical — the “Stabilized” designationNikon documentation
Current availabilityDiscontinued; used market onlyNikon golf line withdrawal
Maximum rangeNot confirmed here
MagnificationNot confirmed here
Water ratingNot confirmed here
Published maximum ranges are measured against highly reflective targets and are not comparable between brands, so we do not repeat them.

What stabilisation actually does for you on the course

Hand shake is the reason a rangefinder reads the trees instead of the flag. At 150 yards a small wobble moves the aiming point several yards sideways, and on a tucked pin that is the difference between the pin and the bank behind it. Stabilisation damps that movement so the reticle sits still enough to hold the flag.

Two groups of golfers notice the difference most: anyone ranging from an unbraced standing position rather than leaning on a bag, and anyone whose hands are not as steady as they were. If neither applies to you, the practical gap between a stabilised unit and a good conventional one narrows a lot — and the technique that closes it is free, on how to use a golf rangefinder.

Before you pay a premium for stabilisation. Try bracing a conventional unit properly first: two hands, elbows into your chest, or the unit resting on the top of a bag or a cart frame. A large share of “it will not lock on the flag” complaints disappear with that alone. Stabilisation is worth real money if you have tried it and still cannot hold the reticle steady.

Slope on the Coolshot Pro II, and which Coolshots have it

Slope is present on the Pro Stabilized models and absent on the simpler Coolshot 20 and 40 units. On a model that has it, slope must be switched off in competition — the Rules of Golf allow a distance-measuring device but not one measuring elevation change during the round.

Nikon’s approach sits between the two extremes we see elsewhere. It is not a Bushnell-style side slider with a coloured indicator anyone can read from a yard away, and it is not buried three levels into a settings menu like the Garmin Approach lasers. Confirm the state on the display before the round and you have nothing to argue about.

How every model we document handles it, and which ones give you something physical to point at, is in the table on how to turn slope off on a rangefinder. The rule itself, level by level from club events to the PGA Tour, is on are rangefinders legal in golf, and the models that make slope easiest to prove are compared on best golf rangefinders with slope.

Battery: the CR2 and the cap

One CR2 3V lithium cell behind a screw cap — the same cell as nearly every Bushnell, Callaway, Precision Pro and Blue Tees laser, which is good news for a discontinued model. Whatever else becomes hard to source, the battery will not.

The screw cap is the part to worry about instead. On a withdrawn product there is no manufacturer channel selling replacement caps, so a cross-threaded or missing cap is a genuine problem rather than an $8 order. Check it before you buy, and do not over-tighten it.

What you seeMost likely causeWhat to do
Display dim, ranges short or inconsistentCell near end of lifeFit a fresh CR2
Dead, nothing on the displayFlat cell or dirty contactsNew cell; wipe the contacts with a dry cloth
Works briefly then behaves erraticallyRechargeable RCR2 cell at the wrong voltageUse a standard CR2
Cap will not seatCross-threadedBack it off fully and restart the thread by hand — no replacement channel exists

Battery type for 22 models across every brand is on which battery does my rangefinder use.

Buying a used Coolshot Pro II: what to check

Because Nikon has withdrawn from golf lasers, a Coolshot Pro II Stabilized is only worth buying at a used price that reflects the lack of a service route. Two faults cannot be fixed cheaply and neither is visible in a listing photograph.

  • Ask the seller to range something at 150 yards or more and send you the reading. A unit that will not hold a lock at distance is not a bargain at any price.
  • Look through it if you can. Internal fogging and fungus are the two faults that end a rangefinder’s life.
  • Confirm the battery cap is present and threads cleanly. There is no replacement channel for it.
  • Confirm which Coolshot it actually is. Only the Pro Stabilized models have slope and stabilisation; a Coolshot 20 is a different and much cheaper proposition.
  • Buy somewhere with a return window, so you can test it on a course rather than across a car park.
The honest comparison. If your reason for wanting a Coolshot Pro II is stabilisation, it is a strong unit and there is nothing wrong with buying one used. If your reason is simply that it is a Nikon, a current model from a brand that still sells parts and honours a warranty is the safer purchase for the same money. Terms brand by brand are on rangefinder repair and warranty.

The full inspection checklist and where to buy with a return window is on buying a used golf rangefinder. What a fair price looks like at each tier, and when discounts land, is on golf rangefinder deals. Current alternatives with a live service route are on the model index.

Cases and mounts that fit a Coolshot

The Coolshot body is a conventional vertical laser shape, so universal cases fit. On a discontinued model this matters more than usual: the original Nikon case is no longer a stock item, so if yours is damaged the aftermarket is the whole market.

What battery does the Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized take?

One CR2 3-volt lithium cell, behind a screw cap on the body. It is the same cell used by nearly every Bushnell, Callaway, Precision Pro and Blue Tees laser, so it stays easy to buy even though the rangefinder itself is discontinued.

Does the Nikon Coolshot Pro II have slope?

Yes. Slope is present on the Pro Stabilized models and absent on the simpler Coolshot 20 and 40 units. It must be switched off in competition, and you should confirm the state on the display before the round rather than mid-way through it.

Is the Nikon Coolshot Pro II still made?

No. Nikon has wound down its golf laser line, so the Coolshot Pro II Stabilized is a used-market purchase. Check parts and service availability before you pay a premium — the battery cap in particular has no replacement channel.

What does the Stabilized in the name mean?

It refers to optical stabilisation, which damps hand shake so the reticle sits still enough to hold the flag. It is the feature that distinguishes the Pro Stabilized models from the rest of the Coolshot range, and it matters most if you range from an unbraced standing position.

Where do I find the Nikon Coolshot manual?

Nikon publishes downloadable manuals for its sport optics products through its own support site. Because the golf line has been withdrawn, download and keep a copy rather than relying on the page still being there next season.

Is a used Coolshot Pro II worth buying in 2026?

It is, at a price that reflects the absence of a service route. Optically it holds up and stabilisation is still a genuinely useful feature. If you want a warranty and available parts for the same outlay, a current model from a brand still in the golf market is the safer buy.

How this page was made. Written by The Golf Rangefinder editorial team from manufacturer documentation and aggregated owner reviews. We do not test rangefinders in hand and we never claim to. On a discontinued model we are stricter than usual about unsourced figures: anything we could not trace to Nikon documentation is marked “not confirmed here”. Last checked: September 2026.

Sources