Last Updated on December 26, 2023 by Matt Greene
*Read our review guidelines.
My V3 Tour on the left and V4 Tour on the right
I own both the Bushnell Tour V4 and the older Bushnell Tour V3 so I'm able to compare these two excellent devices with some authority and in this article, I'll run through the key differences and similarities between the two.
Before we do some comparisons with the Bushnell V3 vs V4, it's important to state that a golf rangefinder is the easiest investment to make in your game for maximum return. It's not complicated, you don't need to grind out hours on a driving range or go to the gym to use one. It's a point and shoot device that helps you pick the right club in every situation without doubt.
Onto the rangefinders...
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
Main difference | Bigger | Smaller |
Magnification | 5x | 5x |
Range | 5 - 1000 yards | 5 - 1000 yards |
Flag seeking | 300+ yards to flag | 400+ yards to flag |
Support | 2 year warranty | 2 year warranty |
Battery | 3-Volt battery | 3-volt battery |
Features | Rainproof | Rainproof JOLT Vibration |
Bushnell Tour V3 vs Tour V4
The V4 and V3 from Bushnell are very similar in features and within the housing, there isn't too much to differentiate between them. Performance-wise, they perform similarly in terms of speed of use, ease-of-use and accuracy - two of the most accurate and quick golf rangefinders on the market.
Below I've highlighted the noticeable differences between in the Tour V4 model that may affect a buying decision. Both are great little devices and you can't go wrong with even the Tour V3 if you can find one.
More hip and more ergonomic
The Tour V4 is a much newer model which naturally brings a feeling of an upgrade or redesign. And the housing is certainly much nicer and newer looking than the Tour V3. The Tour V3 looks quite clunky and feels old school with a less ergonomic design.
Aesthetics aside, the ergonomics are marginally nicer for smaller hands on the V4.
On the Tour V4, your thumb padding slots in nicely to the bottom of the device and the added grip on the top of the device is a nice touch for single-hand use without it slipping and dropping to the ground.
Longer pin-range and smaller body
The Tour V3 performs equally as quickly as the Tour V4 but the Tour V4 is much smaller in size and weighs 15% less than the Tour V3. I have size 23/24 hands which are not very big and the Tour V4 fits nicely into my palm with my fingers curled around it.
For guys with bigger hands, the Tour V4 might feel quite small.
While the housing and the size has changed, the performance of the Tour V3 and V4 are pretty much identical. The JOLT technology which notifies you with a vibration that the device has found the distance is the same in both devices. Range and magnification are identical but where the Tour V4 seems to edge the V3 is in flag-seeking range. It can pick up a flag from 400 yards while the V3 can pick flags up at 300.
Why would anyone need to shoot a flag at 400 yards? Well, I thought the same and then one day I wanted to know how far the flag was and it was 369 yards away instead of the 397 yards on the card. That made a huge difference to my tee shot where I would rather hit a 3 iron instead of the driver off that tee.
Conclusion
The Tour V3 is an old model and with all obsolete models, support and interest from the manufacturers dwindle. If you can find a good second hand Tour V3, go for it because it's an amazing product but if you're buying new, I would always say go for the Tour V4. I love mine.
But if you want to spend less on your rangefinder, there are some cheaper golf rangefinders available like the Precision Pro range.
