Use the Code BREAKINGEIGHTY to get $20 off any Precision Pro Product on their site.
I first got wind of Precision Pro Rangefinders about four months ago and was instantly intrigued by the concept.
They are a small company, looking to create high quality rangefinders at a fraction of the price of their competitors.
I had a chance to talk to them, and check out both the Precision Pro NX7 as well as the NX7 Pro edition which adds slope and vibration – but it wasn’t until a couple weeks ago I got my hands on a review copy of the NX7 Pro.
I was excited to put it through it’s paces and see if it truly competes to models like the Bushnell Tour V4 – at nearly half the price.
For the purposes of this review I did a pretty direct comparison to the Bushnell. That’s what I use on a daily basis, and it’s the best rangefinder I’ve reviewed up to this point.
So with that said, let’s jump in and take a look.
Want to see how this stacks up to the other rangefinders we’ve reviewed? Check out the best rangefinders of 2018.
First Impressions of the Precision Pro NX7 Pro Rangefinder
When you receive your NX7 and open up the box, you’ll notice that packaging is a bit spartan – which isn’t surprising as the whole concept behind their brand is to keep costs down.
Inside the box is:
- The NX7 Pro
- A hard case
- A wriststrap
- A cleaning cloth
- Warranty card
And that’s pretty much it. It’s no frills, but the bottom line is that there doesn’t need to be any if the product works as advertised.
From a size and ergonomics perspective, it felt very similar to the Bushnell – and that’s a good thing. It feels nice in the hand, generally pretty durable, and while it doesn’t feel quite as well made, or have quite the high end touches of the Bushnell – I was surprised at the level of quality.
Off to a good start.
NX7 Pro Performance
The battery was already in the device, so when I first got out to the driving range where I started my tests, it was ready to go.
There are two buttons on the device and operation is incredibly simple:
- Power Button: Turns the device on, and also acts as the trigger button for getting yardages
- Mode Button: Switches between the slope and non-slope modes
I actually like the fact that there are only two modes. I find the more modes you add to a rangefinder, the more cumbersome they become – and really all 98% of the time we want to use it for is to get an accurate distance, as quickly as possible.
For those that aren’t familiar with “slope” mode, basically it just gives you a second yardage that is the “play as” number. The rangefinder is able to tell how uphill or downhill the pin is, so it will adjust based on that. For instance if you’re 150 out and slightly downhill, it may show a slope adjusted yardage of 146.
Unlike the Bushnell where you hold down the button to get a distance, with the NX7 Pro you hit it once, and it will scan for a second looking for the flag, and then provide the distance.
It provides distances down to a tenth of a yard, which, let’s face it, isn’t necessary for most of us, but was nice to feel like I was getting a really accurate distance.
As soon as the device finds the yardage the NX7 Pro will vibrate, giving you tactile feedback and confidence that you’re getting the right yardage.
In my mind, the vibration or jolt feature is a must have in a rangefinder. I personally love it, and it allows me to quickly and easily get the yardage I need. That was my one biggest knock on the Golf Buddy LR5s, which is in a similar price range as this unit.
The tactile feedback doesn’t feel quite as good as the double “jolt” of the Bushnell, though. It might not make any sense to describe a vibration as “cheap” – but this is one of the primary areas where I felt the Bushnell was of higher quality.
But again, you’re looking at a device that is half the cost, so the fact it includes it at all is a big win in my book – and if you weren’t comparing them directly, you’d have no complaints.
Speed-wise, it’s pretty quick. It’s not quite as quick as the Bushnell, but you’d never consider the device slow.
How are the optics?
Obviously one of the primary questions potential buyers are going to have, are “how are the optics?”
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality here. The 6x magnification made it very easy to shoot pins, and I had no trouble getting it to accurately lock onto flags up to 350 yards away. I think the stated range is 400 yards, and I have no doubt it will do that, I just didn’t test it.
It’s easy to focus it to fit your eye with the focus ring as well.
Optically, is it as good as the Bushnell?
Short answer? No.
Again, I would have no complaints if I bought this, and wasn’t directly comparing it to the Tour V4.
But after using the NX7 Pro and then immediately switching to the Bushnell, I found the latter to be quite a bit clearer, and I found I preferred the 5x magnification of the Bushnell to the 6x of the Precision Pro – much of that comes down to personal preference, though.
When viewing, the Bushnell feels more minimalist in nature – which I like. I feel like there is a little bit more going on with the NX7, and with the extra magnification, it can feel a little more cramped in the viewfinder.
The One Major Issue I’ve Had with the NX7 Pro
When I received my device, I loved so much about it – except one thing. Instead of getting accurate yardages, most of the time I was getting distances in the 3-6 yard range.
I couldn’t figure it out, and assumed it must be a software issue (spoiler: it wasn’t. It was user error).
I had them send out a replacement, which they did right away – and I ran into the same issue.
Then after going back and forth with their support team, we realized that it might be caused by the way I was holding the device.
I was holding it with my whole left hand wrapped around the device, which left the base of my hand slightly sticking out over the front of the device – this was causing it to register my hand, and provide false yardages.
After making an adjustment in the way I hold it, I’ve had zero issues with the device, and am really impressed now that I solve that issue.
It isn’t something I’ve experienced with other rangefinders, but once you know what the issue is, it’s not a problem at all.
Note: Use the Code BREAKINGEIGHTY to get $20 off any Precision Pro Product on their site.
Final Impressions
Right now the Precision Pro NX7 Pro is selling for $249, but there’s a $50 rebate, which brings the price down to $199.
I personally would pay the extra $50 for the pro version that adds slope and “pulse” technology. I don’t generally don’t use slope features, but it’s worth it for me for the vibration feedback.
For $199, this is a fantastic rangefinder. It’s has all of the features of the Bushnell Tour V4, at a fraction of the price.
Ergonomics and feel are basically equal.
Bushnell gets the nod for the optics, speed and vibration – but as I mentioned, while it’s better, it’s not dramatically better. And much of it comes down to personal preference.
But, and this is a big but, the NX7 at a retail of about $150 less, is going to be extremely appealing to a lot of people.
It’s up to you if the extra money for the Bushnell is worth it, but if I can get that software issue fixed, then the NX7 Pro may represent the best value in the rangefinder market today.
You can buy the Precision Pro NX7 Pro on Amazon or on their website. Use the code BREAKINGEIGHTY to get $20 off any purchase.
13 Comments
Did you do any side by comparisons of distance to the Bushnell? how close were they to each other? Also any side by side using the slope mode on both?
Yep did side by side on distance, and they were basically identical. Slope very similar as well.
Did you ever get any feedback from the company on the software issues? Trying to decide between the Bushnell V4 patriot pack or the NX7 pro. I am wondering if the slope feature is used and would be helpful on the course. Any thoughts?
I did, was just going into update my review.
It was user error. I tend to wrap my hand all the way around the device, and what was happening was the back of my right hand slightly overhung the front of the device – causing it to misread.
Once I changed my grip slightly, everything works great.
In their ad they advertise 2 year warranty, including the battery. Does that mean this is a rechargeable one? You didn’t mention anything about the battery so wondering if you had a chance to take a look at it? In my years of experience on course with multitude of rangefinders, I need the replaceable batteries. Never want to worry about charging the unit prior to going out. One more thing to worry about. Thanks!
It doesn’t pick up your yardage at all like Bushnell does thru golf cart windshield. You have lean out from cart and then take your distance. So very inconvenient if you use a riding golf cart.
Why would you ever take yardage while in you cart? You should be standing over your ball For a acurrate distance.
I had the same problem with bad readings, until I read this review and changed my grip so my hands didn’t go past the front face. I was about to return the unit as faulty. Now it seems to work as expected. The manufacturer should include this warning in the instructions.
I’d like to add that the non-Pro version has the “Pulse” feature as well. I just chedcked on their homepage.
I don’t need slope so I’ll go for the regular NX7.
Thanks for the review, good insight!
Cheers,
Jakob
Will the precision nx7 pro lock in on a target other then pin flag ? For instance a tree at the corner of a dog leg
Yep it will. I found it a little bit tougher to get it to lock onto things on the ground (bunker lips, creeks etc) compared to the Bushnell’s but it still absolutely will.
I just picked it up. It seems to miss a flag and hit tree behind it a lot. Do you know why?
It could be the mode setting. I haven’t had many issues with the NX7 not picking up the flag, but considering it is more on the budget end of rangefinders, it won’t be quite as strong as this as some of the higher end models.