Bushnell A1-Slope Rangefinder Review – Plugged In Golf
50 Words or Less
The Bushnell A1-Slope laser rangefinder is compact and simple to use. BITE magnetic skin sleeve offers versatility.
Introduction
Here’s an interesting fact: for the 2025 Players Championship, 142 out of the 144 players declared Bushnell as their “preferred distance-measuring device.” That’s an impressive stat. Now we just need to let the pros use laser rangefinders during tournaments. But I digress. You’re here to learn more about the Bushnell A1-Slope – their smallest ever rangefinder
Setup & Ease of Use
As you can see from the photo above, Bushnell provides everything you need to use the A1-Slope, including a charging cable and clamshell case. My unit was fully charged out of the box, enabling me to immediately test how intuitive the operation is – which I’ll describe as ‘very.’ Depressing the blue button on top of the rangefinder turns the unit on, while holding it down engages the ranging. The white button is for settings for the two options: yards or meters, and slope on or off. The Bushnell A1-Slope came set to yards with slope on, so most users may never need to touch the settings button – simple.
The BITE magnetic protective skin was a new, and innovative, feature for me. I like the option of saving weight by not using the sleeve versus using the sleeve to attach to a golf cart frame. The skin took a little urging to slide on (and off) and didn’t interfere with functionality.
Bushnell describes the A1-Slope as “ultra-compact” and the unit felt small in my medium glove size hands. The compact size and associated light weight did make holding the unit steady slightly more challenging. But for slipping in my pocket, the Bushnell A1-Slope is tough to beat.
Accuracy & Performance
Like other Bushnell rangefinders I’ve used over the years, the A1-Slope provided accurate and repeatable distances. Speed was good – within a second. The largest number displayed is the straight-line distance. Under that and about half the size, +/- slope percentage and slope adjusted distance are displayed. On my first few uses, it took a moment to process which distance was which, but that was more a function of being used to the display of a different brand. All values, and the target sight, are black. It should be noted that the Bushnell A1-Slope does not have an external slope indicator – don’t forget to turn it off for tournament play.
The A1-Slope also features JOLT – vibration feedback when you’ve locked onto the flag. And as Bushnell points out: “and only the flag.” For me it’s a valuable feature for quickly discerning between some background objects and the flag.
A few other technical specs are worth mentioning. First, the Bushnell A1-Slope has 6X magnification with a 1300 range – the same as say the Tour V6 Shift [full review HERE]. Where the A1-Slope comes up a bit short is on flag range: 350 verses 500 yards compared to the V6. Not a deal breaker, but something big hitters may want to consider. This final spec is really digging deep, but the A1-Slope exit pupil is 3mm. Think of exit pupil as the virtual aperture, or diameter, of visibility as you hold the rangefinder close to your eye. The smaller the exit pupil, the more precise your positioning needs to be. 3 mm (for reference the V6 is 4 mm) is perfectly usable, but if you sometimes struggle finding the numbers on rangefinders, I recommend trying the Bushnell A1-Slope before you buy.
Value
The Bushnell A1-Slope retails for $300, which places it firmly in the crowded mid-price tier. Please consider supporting Plugged In Golf sponsor PlayBetter and buying it HERE.
I wouldn’t say the A1-Slope is a good or bad value but more a solid purchase. Bushnell has a strong reputation for quality and precision, and the A1-Slope exhibits all the family traits. For me the selling point is the size and optional BITE skin.
As for the competition in smaller rangefinders, you’ll want to check out the $180 Voice Caddie Laser FIT [review HERE], which has Ball-to-Pin Mode or the $400 Mileseey IONME2 [review HERE] that features Coach Mode and PinPoint Green Mode.
Conclusion
I just realized I didn’t mention charging – because I’m still fully charged after 2 weeks of testing. Bushnell states the a fully charged A1-Slope is good for 50+ rounds, and I have no reason to doubt them. Overall the A1-Slope has that solidly built feel that Bushnell is known for, and I really like the strong magnet of the BITE skin. The compact size of the A1-Slope makes it a great addition to the Bushnell laser rangefinder lineup.
Buy the Bushnell A1-Slope Rangefinder HERE
Senior Writer at Plugged In Golf
Matt – aka ‘Meeks’ – lives in the beautiful Lowcountry of South Carolina with his wife who allows his golf obsession to stretch the limits of normalcy.
