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Yard Range: 8-650 yards/8-450 to flag
Magnification: 6X21 mm objective diameter
Display Type: LED/Red
Dimensions: 4.4 x 1.4 x 2.8 inches, 5.6 ounces
Tournament Legal: Yes
Measurement System: Yards/Meters
Measurement Distance: Distance only
Waterproof: No. Rain-resistant: Yes
Our Rating: 
Nikon COOLSHOT 40 Review
The Nikon COOLSHOT 40 golf rangefinder is a fully weatherproof, compact, and affordable unit that’s been made for the green. It has an 8-Second Continuous Scan Mode that comes in handy with the wide field of view. The Nikon rangefinder operates on First Target Priority Mode with HYPER READ Technology to really get instantaneous readings during your tournament games.
This is a great mid-level rangefinder that takes advanced technology and simplicity to make a highly-intuitive and smooth unit. Still in the higher end of the satisfaction scale, it boasts a great rating.
Although it hasn’t drawn in the copious crowd, its affordable price and additional ease of use features will have it sitting in the current rating for a long time yet.
- Price
- Hyper Read Technology
- 0.5 yard increment readings
- LED display
- Lightweight and compact
- Water-resistant (not waterproof)
Nikon COOLSHOT 40 Rangefinder Q&A:
The COOLSHOT 40 has the super intuitive HYPER READ Technology that gets you instantaneous display readings, no matter the distance.
Although the maximum yard range for the both 40 and the 40i is 650 yards, and 450 yards to the flagstick, you’ll be able to get a reading from a distance of 600 yards just as fast as you would from only 100 yards away.
I know your next question – how fast is fast? Half of a second. It doesn’t get better than that.
There is a really nice upgrade with the 40 that you probably wouldn’t notice until you use it. It’s the fact that you don’t have to keep the firing laser button depressed for a full eight seconds for it to stay in panning mode.
The COOLSHOT 20 required you to hit the power button, then hit it again and keep it depressed to activate the panning. With the COOLSHOT 40 and the 40i, all of you have to do is turn it on and then press and release the firing button to kick on the panning mode.
Not having to depress the firing button takes away that much extra finger work.
The 40 and the 40i both have the LED display that provides reticles and distance readings in red. This is a feature that you’d see with premium rangefinders since it’s much more readable in varying light conditions than the LCD with the black display.
The Nikon 40 and the 40i both boast of getting accurate distances within -/+0.75 of a yard. That’s 2.25 feet. That’s practically spot-on in the rangefinder world.
With distance readings this close, you’ll improve your game by reducing your strokes. That’s the whole point of the rangefinder right? To give you confidence in your game play.
The Nikon 40 and 40i COOLSHOT rangefinders have exactly the same dimensions of 4.4 x 1.4 x 2.8 inches and weigh 5.6 ounces. Although this is quite a compact design, is it drop-proof and long-lasting?
Some users have complained that because it’s so light-weight and there’s a lot of plastic construction that it seems flimsy and of low quality.
Wrong! To keep the weight factor down, more and more conventional rangefinders are turning to high-grade plastics for the buoyant feel without compromising on sturdiness and strength.
The Nikon golf rangefinders are certainly keeping up with their metal-reinforced rivals.
Noteworthy Features:
- First Target Priority Mode for nearest distance acquisition
- HYPER READ Technology for 0.5 second display of distances
- Intuitive and easy to use continuous eight second panning mode
- Precise and accurate to -/+0.75 yard
- Extremely small, light-weight, and compact
Our Verdict on the Coolshot 40
To ping up the strokes, the Nikon Coolshot 40 is a cheap rangefinder with excellent functions. Since it’s only water-resistant, you’ll want to use it in optimal weather to avoid lens issues.
While the 40 is a tournament legal device without slope, the sweet spot is found with the Coolshot 40i that has Nikon’s ID Technology. It’s not much more than the 40, putting it in the perfect budget range. It even comes with Nikon’s distant target priority mode to range out well past the flag.
Outside of the Nikon family is the Leica clan. They’re the best when it comes to optics, and their Pinmaster II Pro is no exception. You will spend a little more, but at least you have slope function, German glass, LED display, and their Aqua Dura coating for inconceivable clearness you won’t be able to believe.
But, Nikon does what they do well, and for the best prices in the market. With Nikon, you’ll stay cool with the Coolshot 40!
