Shot Scope Pro L2 Review: The Best *CHEAP* Rangefinder?

I get asked all the time what my favorite cheap rangefinder is.

Cheap is a relative term.

In the golf rangefinder world, I consider $200 cheap.

And there are a number of products I recommend around that price, like the TecTecTec KLYR and Callaway 300 Pro.

But generally speaking, once you get much cheaper than that? Quality goes down with it. Usually to the point where I just can’t in food faith recommend the product.

And this is what’s so interesting about the Shot Scope Pro L2 rangefinder.

It’s the first rangefinder under $150 that I can give a recommendation for.

To be clear, that recommendation comes with a number of caveats. This is by no means the best rangefinder you’ll ever use. But if you’re ok with some tradeoffs, it is worth spending $127.49 on it, if you’re on a really strict budget. 

Yes, you read that price right.

You might be looking at their website and seeing that this thing costs $149.99.

Well, it does.

But if you use the code “BREAKINGEIGHTY” you’re going to save 15%, which brings the price down to, you guessed it, $127.49.

So let’s dig into this Shot Scope Pro L2 review and lay out all of the pros and cons of this laser rangefinder.

First Impressions of the Shot Scope Pro L2

As is typically the case with Shot Scope products, the packaging and presentation here is bare bones. They’re a brand that focuses on value and low price over anything else, so you’re not going to see any extra expense going into presentation and packaging.

And when your goal is to make the best device possible at the absolute lowest price, I’m totally ok with that.

The Pro L2 has a plastic body, but the ergonomics are actually quite nice and the lines of texture on the body both look good aesthetically, while also making it easier to grip.

The quality of the Pro L2 rangefinder is similar to the first-generation Pro LX+ rangefinder, which I had mixed feelings on. There’s a new 2nd generation version of this device which adds a couple features like a red backlight and 7x magnification – but neither of those are present on this device, the L2.

But for under $150 I wouldn’t expect them to be, or frankly want them to be.

I say this because usually when a red backlight is included in inexpensive rangefinders, it can negatively affect the optics, and actually provide a worse experience for the user.

So from a features perspective, I like that with the exception of slope compensation there are no features here that should only be found on higher-end devices, as that would be a bad sign from a quality perspective.

Overall, first impressions are solid, but that means nothing if the thing doesn’t work. So does it?

Shot Scope Pro L2 Performance

The Pro L2 has 6x optics which is standard for devices in this price range. 

The optics are by no means world-class, but they’re serviceable, and if you’ve never used a higher-end rangefinder before you likely wouldn’t give it a second thought.

For the most part, the display isn’t overly cluttered, but I did find there to be “scan” text that was ever present above the yardages – despite not actually having a “scan” mode. This felt odd and out of place.

From a speed perspective, the Pro L2 isn’t going to win any awards.

It’s certainly fast enough to be serviceable, but there’s a slight noticeable delay between hitting the range button and getting a distance.

Some of the newest rangefinders out there are so fast, and so accurate, that this definitely feels a few generations old and I’d quantify it as “fair” as opposed to good in this regard.

But once again, we need to keep price in mind here, as this thing is about as cheap as it gets.

We’re in a similar boat when it comes to accuracy, it’s fair at best.

If you’re playing a course that has reflectors built into the flagstick, the Pro L2 is actually pretty reliable.

With these types of pins, I get accurate numbers 85% of the time. The other 15% was usually catching a tree and would dance around a bit and require 5-10 seconds of continuing to range distances before I was confident I had the correct target.

If you’re playing a course without these pin reflectors, then that issue became much more prevalent and I’d find myself doing this dance more often than not.

The numbers would bounce around quite a bit, requiring me to do quite a bit more work to settle on the correct distance. But because of this process, I still didn’t always have 100% confidence that I had the exact distance.

But in nearly all cases I could get close enough to have a number that works, and I have yet to have a situation where a bad number truly impacted my round.

The slope function works fine, but you still have the aforementioned issues.

And the built-in magnet is strong, and I don’t imagine there will be many scenarios where you’d need to worry about it falling off a cart.

Final Thoughts on the Shot Scope Pro L2

Here’s the thing, when I first started reviewing this device, I thought it came in at $199.

And I was ready to not recommend it. At that price, there are products that are just generally more reliable and more accurate.

Then I saw it was actually $150. I have yet to find a golf rangefinder in the $150 range that I truly feel good about recommending – but at that price, the Shot Scope Pro L2 is pretty close.

Then I realized that our Shot Scope coupon code “BREAKINGEIGHTY” takes 15% off of that, bringing the final price to $127.49.

And for that price? I can definitely recommend the Pro L2.

Its looks and ergonomics are solid and it’s got a great feature set for the price. Despite not being super fast or super accurate/precise with its readings, with a little extra work, it will almost always get you the yardage you need.

So if you’re truly looking for the best rangefinder under $150? This is the best I’ve seen.

Is it a great rangefinder when compared to many other options on the market. No.

But is it a good rangefinder for $127.49? Yes, it absolutely is.

So if you’re in the market for a cheap golf rangefinder, but you’re on a strict budget? Then as long as you’re cool with some of the critiques I brought up here, then I absolutely think it’s worth picking up.

Other Affordable Golf Rangefinders to Consider

• TecTecTec Klyr – This may be my personal favorite rangefinder under $200. But it’s still quite a bit more than the Pro L2.
• Callaway 300 Pro – It’s among the most popular rangefinders on Amazon for a reason.
• Bushnell Tour V6 – This is considerably more, but it’s the cheapest rangefinder from the most reliable rangefinder company in golf. So if that name brand is important to you, this is one to consider.

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Is it the best rangefinder? No. Is it the best for the price? Absolutely.

8.0 Consider it

The Shot Scope Pro L2 is an ok rangefinder. It can be difficult to lock on and get consistently accurate readings. But it has great ergonomics, and a surprisingly good display. And considering you can get it under $150? It makes it the best option I can actually recommend in that price range.

The Good

1. Solid design and ergonomics
2. Super affordable price
3. Nice feature set with built in magnets

The Bad

1. Struggles to lock onto flags with out prisms
2. Not as fast as other products

• Presentation 7
• Performance 7
• Price 10
• Personal Affinity 8