Nikon COOLSHOT 20 Review

The Nikon Coolshot 20 has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'Nikon Coolshot 20'

Nikon Coolshot 20
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Updated Nikon Coolshot 20 Review… We were initially attracted to the price, the small size, and light weight of the Nikon Coolshot 20. User reviews are good, but we did notice that some people complained that acquiring distances to longer targets was difficult.

Nikon Coolshot 20 User Rating: 4.42 Stars 4.42 out of 5 (219 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

When we gave it a hands-on test, we found that at distances over 150 yards when there were trees or a hill behind the green, it was sometimes a little more difficult. The price point on the Coolshot 20 and the overall high ratings make it worthy of consideration for those with experience using a laser rangefinder. However, if you have the budget for something a little easier to use, we recommend taking a look at our current list of Best Laser Rangefinders.

The Nikon Coolshot 20 Review below is based on user feedback only.

The reviews on the Coolshot 20 are very good and the price is lower than the competition. Learning to use it should be quick, but for those of us used to holding down or pumping the button, it takes a mental adjustment to realize that you just push and release the button and let the rangefinder scan for the pin. There were mixed reviews on whether or not it was easy to acquire distances, however probably twice as many users felt it was easy, compared with those who did not. So if you are buying your first laser golf rangefinder, you may want to spend the extra and get something like the Bushnell Pro X7 that works best with two hands.

Most Mentioned Pros
% indicates frequency mentioned

  • Accuracy (26.7%)
  • Easy to acquire distance (18.3%)
  • Price/Features (15.4%)
  • Size/Weight (14.1%)
  • Better than competion (2.8%)

Most Mentioned Cons
% indicates frequency mentioned

  • Difficult to acquire distance (8.4%)
Nikon COOLSHOT Specifications
Nikon Coolshot 20
Slope No
Vibration n
Size (Width x Height x Depth) 2.9 in. x 1.5 in. x 3.6 in.
Weight 4.4 oz.
Battery CR2 Lithium
Battery Life N/A
Display N/A
Rainproof Yes
Magnification 6x
Maximum Range 550
Minimum Range 6
Notes -
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes
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We work very hard to obtain the correct information about product features, but cannot make any guarantees about the accuracy. Please double check with the merchant or manufacturer before making a purchase.
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Nikon COOLSHOT Rangefinder Review

The Nikon COOLSHOT has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'Nikon COOLSHOT'

Nikon COOLSHOT
Not Available


Check Newer Models
Laser
GPS
Golf Watches


The Nikon COOLSHOT is a bit of a sleeper in the laser rangefinder market. The price is better than other rangefinders with similar features and the performance is really solid. It gets our vote for best value in a golf rangefinder.

Nikon COOLSHOT User Rating: 4.50 Stars 4.50 out of 5 (42 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

Although the ratings are slightly lower than the Bushnell Tour V3, they are still really strong. The overwhelming majority of user comments were positive, with accuracy, ease of use, size & weight, clarity and quality being the most common themes. Honestly, unless you’re looking for bells and whistles, there’s not much more you can ask of a golf rangefinder.

The only negative that we noted was that the white housing had a tendency to get dirty.

Notable Features of the Nikon COOLSHOT Rangefinder:
  • Compact, lightweight, ergonomic design.
  • First Target Priority algorithm displays the range to the nearest target among the multiple results obtained. You can then exactly measure the distance to the flagstick, instead of a background object.
  • 8 second scan mode makes targeting easier even with slight movement
  • High quality 6x monocular with multilayer coating for bright clear images.
  • Targeting range from 10 – 600 yards.
  • Long eye relief for glasses wearers.
  • Wide field of view (7.5 degrees).
  • Rainproof
Nikon COOLSHOT Rangefinder Specifications
Nikon COOLSHOT
Slope No
Vibration n
Size (Width x Height x Depth) 2.8 in. x 1.5 in. x 4.4 in.
Weight 5.9 oz.
Battery CR-2 Lithium
Battery Life N/A
Display LED
Rainproof Yes
Magnification 6x
Maximum Range 600
Minimum Range 11
Notes *This model is legal under the USGA local rule, but the COOLSHOT AS has Slope and is not legal for tournament play.
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes*
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We work very hard to obtain the correct information about product features, but cannot make any guarantees about the accuracy. Please double check with the merchant or manufacturer before making a purchase.
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Can You Use a Hunting Rangefinder for Golf?

One question we hear occasionally is “Can you use a hunting rangefinder for golf?”.

Yes No Maybe you can use a hunting rangefinder for golf!The quick answer is yes, but it’s not always as easy as using a rangefinder designed specifically for golf. Almost all name brand golf rangefinders are designed to pick out the pin from background objects by locking onto the object that is the closest to you. Bushnell calls it Pinseeker, Leupold calls it PinHunter and Callaway/Nikon refers to it as First Target Priority Mode. These technologies definitely make it easier and faster to get a reading about which you’ll feel confident.

Many hunting rangefinders are designed to do the opposite. They easily pick up the more distant objects, rather than closer objects. That eliminates the problem of leaves and brush in the foreground for hunters.

“GolfBuddy LR7”




Recently though GolfBuddy has been touting the GolfBuddy LR7 is good for hunting because it has three different modes. The Standard Mode which is a single button press that returns a single distance. It also has Pin Mode that scans for 10 seconds and settles on the closest target which is what you get with most laser rangefinders designed for golf. Scan Mode on the GolfBuddy, scans for 10 seconds, displaying the distance to any target that it hits. It doesn’t stop on the closest target, which should work best for hunters.

There’s no question that plenty of people use hunting rangefinders for golf and golf rangefinders for hunting. The results are often mixed, probably depending on the distance to the target and steadiness of the person using it.

Have you ever tried a laser rangefinder for golf and hunting? We would love to hear what worked or didn’t work for you. Leave us a comment below!

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