Bushnell Pro XE Vs V5 Switch

[SJP1]

It's finally time to upgrade my old trusty V2 (non-slope). She's still kicking but gonna flip her while she's still got some resale value.

Wondering whether to go XE or V5 switch.

Seeing as they're both expensive, if I'm in the market for a V5 then I may was well throw in the XE - but curious for reviews on both and how they compare in real life, beyond the on-paper features.

[Mully06]

I have an XE, and LOVE it. Can't speak to the v5, but XE is awesome. It does change yardage based on temp. Haven't played in altitude yet, but I'm really happy with the purchase. GL with your decision!

[BrendanH]

I used to have the XE and to be honest I never fully trusted the yardages when adjusted according to temp etc. They didn't seem to match up with expectations or my own real world results. At the time I wondered if it could really be all that reliable since it spent most of its time sitting in a cozy little plush pocket in my bag. The temp sensor likely would not have matched the outside temp very accurately.

 

In any case I have since come to believe that even standard slope calculations are not terribly reliable either. They can be useful if used with some caution but should not be completely relied on. For example, no slope calculation will know what your typical trajectory looks like for whatever club you would likely hit at the given distance. When you think about that, it therefore cannot reliably predict how much longer or shorter a given yardage/slope combo will play for you. I think they make assumptions about land angle and give an adjusted yardage based on that. Since my land angle from 175yds could vary wildly from someone else's from the same yardage, the adjustment needed for slope could also vary quite a lot.

 

Anyway, I switched from the XE to the Nikon Coolshot Pro Stabilized and I have been very happy with it. I can set it to give me the actual yardage, along with the elevation change reported separately. I can then make my own determination on how much of the elevation change I need to factor into my shot selection. I have been able to get better results with this approach. The added "Elements" feature from the XE is a dim and distant memory now and I would never pay for it again.

 

One last thing to keep in mind is Bushnell's customer support reputation. I never had an issue with the Bushnells I owned, so I never had to rely on their support. However, I have come across many reports from other Bushnell owners who had very negative experiences. Just something to consider...

[swgolfer]

The threads are full of problems with Bushnell and their CS, don't own the XE but had a V4 that developed problems and they gave me no help after sending it back so it became a paperweight. All the lasers work the same now, my suggestion is save yourself some money and go elsewhere.