The Bushnell A1-Slope is $299.99, and it’s the smallest laser rangefinder Bushnell has ever made. It’s a compact, no-frills rangefinder with the build quality of a Bushnell, and for a lot of golfers, that’s exactly what they’re looking for.
Is the Bushnell A1-Slope worth buying?
Now, for a brand that’s owned the laser rangefinder game as long as Bushnell has, I’ll be honest, the A1-Slope feels like a bit of a curveball. But in a good way. Bushnell showed it at the 2025 PGA Show, it weighs 5.1 ounces, and it charges with USB-C, so there are no batteries to buy.
What you’re not buying it for is tech. There’s no GPS, no Bluetooth, no app, and no subscription. It gives you a distance, a slope-adjusted distance, and a buzz when you’re on the flag. That’s the whole job.
At $299.99, it’s sitting right in the middle of some serious competition. So I’ll show you what you get, what you give up to get it this small, and which golfer should spend the money somewhere else.
Quick Overview
- Smallest Bushnell ever: 5.1 ounces and 3.75 inches long, so it rides in a regular pocket.
- Slope when you want it: Bushnell’s patented slope gives you a “play as” number, and it turns off for tournaments.
- BITE magnetic skin: the magnet lives in a removable rubber skin, so it sticks to the cart bar or comes off for your pocket.
- USB-C rechargeable: Bushnell rates a full charge at 50+ rounds.
- What’s missing: no OLED screen, no triangulation, no GPS, and no app.
Unlock your best golf game with the Bushnell A-1 Slope rangefinder, delivering precise distance and slope data to boost every shot’s accuracy and confidence.
- Accurate distance and slope
- Lightweight and compact
- Easy to use
- Few advanced features
- Slope limited in tournaments
- Average battery life
Bushnell A1-Slope Specs
The A1-Slope puts 6x magnification, slope, and 350+ yards of range to a flag into a 5.1-ounce body.
| Specification | Bushnell A1-Slope |
|---|---|
| Price | $299.99 at Bushnell Golf and PlayBetter (checked October 19, 2026) |
| Release | 2025 (debuted at the 2025 PGA Show) |
| Range to a flag | 350+ yards |
| Accuracy | Plus or minus 1 yard |
| Magnification | 6x, fully multi-coated optics |
| Objective lens / exit pupil | 18 mm / 3 mm |
| Display | LCD with battery indicator |
| Flag lock | PinSeeker with JOLT vibration |
| Slope | Yes; on and off through the Mode button setup menu |
| Magnet | Built into the removable BITE magnetic skin |
| Battery | Internal rechargeable, USB-C; 50+ rounds (3,000 target acquisitions); about 4 hours to full |
| Water resistance | IPX6 |
| Weight | 5.1 oz |
| Dimensions | 3.75 x 1.42 x 2.36 in |
| Bluetooth or app | None |
| In the box | BITE magnetic skin, USB-C charging cord, premium carrying case, microfiber cloth, quick start guide |
| Warranty | 2-year limited |
It’s Small Enough to Live in Your Pocket, and That’s Why You’ll Use It More
This is the whole reason the A1-Slope exists. It’s 3.75 inches long, 2.36 inches tall, and 5.1 ounces. Bushnell says it’s the smallest laser rangefinder they’ve ever built, and it’s got a body that’s actually pocket friendly.
And that matters more than you’d think. A big rangefinder lives in the bag or the cup holder, so every time you want a number, you’re walking back to get it. A small one rides in your pocket. You pull it out, shoot the flag, and put it away. If you walk, or you just don’t want something bulky hanging off your bag, the compact size alone is a good reason to buy it.
Bushnell also pitches it at golfers of all abilities, especially juniors and ladies. That makes sense. A full-size rangefinder can feel like a brick in a smaller hand.
Now, it’s not the smallest pocket laser out there. The Voice Caddie Laser FIT is 3.39 inches long and 4 ounces, so it’s about an ounce lighter and a little shorter. If every ounce in your pocket matters, keep that in mind.
The BITE Magnetic Skin Turns a Pocket Rangefinder Into a Cart Rangefinder
Now, here’s how the magnet works. It isn’t in the rangefinder. It’s in the BITE magnetic skin, a removable rubber sleeve that wraps around the whole thing.
Skin on, you stick it to the cart bar and it’s right there every shot. Skin off, you strip it down to a slimmer, lighter rangefinder for your pocket. So if you ride on Saturday and walk on Tuesday, one rangefinder covers both.
One tip straight out of Bushnell’s manual. When it’s on the cart bar, tilt it so the eyepiece points down at the ground, not up at the sun. Direct sunlight into the eyepiece can damage the display.
And when the round’s over, it goes back in the case. Bushnell puts a premium carrying case, the USB-C cord, and a microfiber cloth in the box, so you’re not buying anything extra to protect it.
It Does Two Things, Distance and Slope, and It Does Them With Bushnell Accuracy
Let’s talk about what it actually does, because it’s a short list. You get the straight-line distance, the slope-adjusted “play as” distance, and that’s about it.
Bushnell rates it at plus or minus one yard, with 350+ yards of range to a flag. The slope is the same patented system Bushnell says 98.6% of PGA Tour players trust. Bushnell’s own example shows why you want it. A flag that’s 160 on a 6% uphill grade plays as 168. That’s a full club for a lot of golfers.
When you lock the flag, PinSeeker with JOLT gives you a quick buzz in your hand. Bushnell says it buzzes on the flag, and only the flag, so you know you didn’t just shoot the trees behind it. It’s the same JOLT idea Bushnell puts in the $599.99 Pro X3+LINK, minus the red ring that flashes in that one’s viewfinder. On the A1-Slope, the buzz is your confirmation.
The optics are sharp, like you’d expect from Bushnell, with 6x magnification. And here’s a setup tip. The A1-Slope ships set to meters. Hold the Mode button to get into setup, tap Mode until you see the Y for yards, and press the Power button to confirm. Do that in the parking lot, not on the first tee.
USB-C Charging and 50+ Rounds Per Charge Mean No Batteries to Buy
The A1-Slope has a built-in battery that charges with USB-C, the same kind of cable as your phone. Bushnell rates a full charge at 50+ rounds, which works out to about 3,000 readings, and it takes about four hours to go from empty to full.
There’s a battery indicator right in the viewfinder. When it starts blinking, plug it in. That’s the whole system.
Two things to know. The battery is built in, so you can’t swap it out. And if it’s going to sit in the closet all winter, Bushnell says to charge it every 60 days, because leaving it at zero for more than 80 days can permanently damage the battery.
It’s also rated IPX6, so a wet round isn’t going to kill it.
At $299.99, the A1-Slope Has to Beat a $199.99 Laser FIT
Here’s the real question with the A1-Slope. Not “is it good,” because it is. It’s “is it the best way to spend $300.”
| Rangefinder | Price | What stands out | Turning slope off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bushnell A1-Slope | $299.99 | BITE magnetic skin, IPX6, 2-year warranty | Mode button setup menu |
| Voice Caddie Laser FIT | $199.99 | Ball to Pin triangulation, 1-year warranty | Tournament mode |
| Bushnell Tour V7 Shift | $399.99 | Dual-color OLED, Visual JOLT | Slope-Switch on the outside |
The Laser FIT is the one that makes you think. It’s $199.99, it’s even smaller, and it has a feature the Bushnell doesn’t have at all. Voice Caddie calls it Ball to Pin. You shoot your ball, then you shoot the flag, and it gives you the distance between the two. I’ve said it before: if you play a lot of cart-path-only rounds, triangulation is the reason to buy it. You get the exact number from the cart path, then walk out with the one club you actually need. The trade-off is it’s a little plasticky.
The A1-Slope answers with the Bushnell name, the magnetic skin, an IPX6 rating, and two years of warranty against the Laser FIT’s one. So if you’re counting every dollar, or you live on the cart path, get the Laser FIT. My Voice Caddie Laser FIT review goes deeper on it. If you want the Bushnell, the extra hundred bucks buys you the build and the badge.
Then there’s Bushnell’s own Tour V7 Shift at $399.99. Another hundred bucks gets you a dual-color OLED display, a red ring that flashes with the JOLT buzz, and a Slope-Switch right on the outside. If you play serious golf and don’t mind a full-size rangefinder, that’s where I’d spend the money. My Bushnell Tour V7 Shift review covers it, and my best golf rangefinders list shows the whole field.
What I Don’t Love
There’s a catch. Actually, two.
First, the screen. It’s a plain LCD. There’s no OLED and no red display. Bushnell saved the dual-color OLED for the V7 Shift, so that’s a big part of what the extra money buys you.
Second, turning slope off. It’s tournament legal with slope off, but you do it in the setup menu. Hold Mode, confirm yards or meters with the Power button, then tap Mode to flip slope between On and OFF and confirm again. There’s no switch or light on the outside, so your playing partner can’t see at a glance that it’s off. In a Saturday game, who cares. In a club event, a rangefinder with an outside switch is just easier.
Unlock your best golf game with the Bushnell A-1 Slope rangefinder, delivering precise distance and slope data to boost every shot’s accuracy and confidence.
- Accurate distance and slope
- Lightweight and compact
- Easy to use
- Few advanced features
- Slope limited in tournaments
- Average battery life
Who It’s For
Buy it if:
- You want a rangefinder that lives in your pocket.
- You ride some days and walk others, and you want a magnet for the cart.
- You want Bushnell slope with no app, no pairing, and no subscription.
- You’re done buying rangefinder batteries.
Skip it if:
- You play a lot of tournaments and want a slope switch everyone can see.
- You play a lot of cart-path-only golf. The Laser FIT’s triangulation does more for less money.
- You want an OLED screen. Spend the extra hundred bucks on the Tour V7 Shift.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Bushnell A1-Slope legal for tournaments?
Yes, with slope turned off. Under Rule 4.3a, you can use a distance-measuring device, but measuring elevation changes isn’t allowed, so slope has to be off. A committee can also ban rangefinders completely with a Local Rule, so check before your event.
How long does the Bushnell A1-Slope battery last?
Bushnell says one charge is good for more than 50 rounds. Charging takes about four hours over USB-C, and a blinking battery icon in the viewfinder tells you it’s time.
Does the Bushnell A1-Slope have a magnet?
Yes, but it’s in the BITE skin, not the rangefinder. Leave the skin on to stick it to the cart. Pull it off and you’ve got a slimmer pocket rangefinder with no magnet.
Is the Bushnell A1-Slope waterproof?
No. IPX6 means water resistant, not waterproof. It’ll handle a wet round, but Bushnell’s manual says to keep it out of heavy rain and never submerge it.
What warranty comes with the Bushnell A1-Slope?
Two years from the date you buy it. Bushnell covers defects in materials and workmanship and will repair or replace it at their option. You pay the postage to send it in, and damage from misuse isn’t covered.
Final Thoughts: Bushnell A1-Slope Review
Bushnell and PlayBetter both had the A1-Slope at $299.99 on October 19, 2026. At that price, it’s a smart entry into compact rangefinders from a brand that we all trust.
About the author
Paul Liberatore
Paul Liberatore is the founder of Golfers Authority and a former four-year golf gear contributor to Sports Illustrated. He tests golf equipment hands-on to help golfers make better buying decisions.