Welcome back! Today we will be looking at the Bushnell Velocity Radar Gun
Product: Bushnell Velocity Speed Gun
Shipping Cost: Free
Warranty: 2 Years
Bushnell Velocity Speed Gun – Product Overview
Most coaches consider the use of a radar gun to be an important tool for player development. No matter the skill level, incorporating a radar gun into your practices is a great method to help your players improve their speeds, which builds confidence.
While I know there are some coaches and parents out there who think that using a radar gun with young kids is not a good idea, I believe it is a great idea to use as a motivator for constant improvement. As long as you are going through your proper warm up and stretching routines, you will be just fine.
The Bushnell Velocity Speed Gun is the perfect radar gun for those not looking to spend a ton of money on a professional model, but at the same time want the instant feedback a radar gun can provide.
Features
Size: Measuring only 4.3″ wide x 8.4″ high x 6″ long and weighing in at only 19 ounces, the Bushnell Radar Gun is small enough to easily operate with one hand, and light enough so that your arm wont get tired.
Display: This radar gun offers a large, clear LCD screen that makes pitch speeds very easy to read, even on those sunny days.
Accuracy: The Bushnell can measure the speed of an object as small as a baseball from a distance of up to 90 feet away and, although I’ve never tied it, they claim it can measure vehicle speeds from as far away as 1,500 feet within +/- 1 mph (2 kph) of the exact speed.
Point & Squeeze Trigger: The trigger system is quite easy to operate, you simply line yourself up with the object you wish to measure, aim the gun, and pull the trigger. When you release the trigger, the highest recorded speed will be displayed.
Batteries: Operates on 2 C batteries. The general consensus is to expect somewhere between 500 – 700 readings before you need to replace them
Versatility
Although I primarily used The Bushnell Velocity Speed Gun for measuring pitch speeds and runner speeds for baseball practice, the applications are virtually endless.
Many people are using the gun for measuring tennis serve and return speeds, volleyball serve speeds, and soccer kick speeds. I’ve even heard of people measuring Frisbee speeds. I’m not exactly sure how it would do with a golf drive as I have not tried it, but I would have to assume that it would work if you were close enough.
Have a speeding problem in your neighborhood? The Bushnell can give you instant and accurate vehicle speeds. While I do not recommend trying to become the neighborhood cop, it is a good way to expose the problem and report it to the police. Just keep in mind that this radar gun is not certified.
Common Complaints
Accuracy: One of the most common complaints I see with the Bushnell Velocity Speed gun is with accuracy.
In my personal experience with the gun, I have noticed that if you are slightly off line with the object you are trying to measure, it will produce readings of 3-5 mph slower than the actual speed. I have read of others saying it can be as high as 8-10 mph off, but I have not encountered this much of a difference.
The more direct of a line you can get with the ball the better.
I have also found that for whatever reason, it seems that the bigger the object you are trying to measure, the more accurate the readings are.
Consistency: While I have read some other reviews from customers complaining about inconsistent readings, I found the gun to be pretty consistent. I will have to assume that perhaps they were moving the aim a little off line, or maybe they were picking up interference from some other moving object.
Or perhaps it could have just been “operator error”. To get a good reading on a pitch, you have to squeeze the trigger before the pitch and hold it in all the way until the ball hits the catchers mitt before you release it. The gun will then display the highest speed.
Distance: Another common complaint I have seen is the gun not being able to pick up smaller objects at a distance. Some say you need to literally stand on top of the catcher to get a reading on a baseball.
While I have had a difficult time getting readings from the claimed 90 feet range, it does fairly well from behind a Little league backstop. At the 30-50 feet range, it hasn’t given too many problems.
With distance, accuracy, and consistency, the size of the object you were trying to measure did seem to make a difference.
Machine won’t turn on: Most of time this issue is caused by the improper installation of the batteries. Just be sure to carefully read the installation instructions and install them according to the diagram and you should be just fine. If the machine still don’t work, which happens with every product from time to time, Amazon will generally give you no problems with returning a faulty product.
Final Verdict
My best advice to you is to not waste too much time trying to compare the Bushnell Velocity Speed Gun with other models costing 4 or 5 times as much as this one.
It is simply not going to offer the same amount of features or accuracy and consistency you get with a pro scout model radar gun. You are not going to be able to sit a football field away and record pitch speeds and 1st to 2nd speed times.
What you will get is a radar gun that you can use as a practice tool to aid in player development that is pretty consistent at a fair price.
If your budget will allow you to spend a little more money to add a ton of features, better accuracy and consistency, more distance, and hands free usability, then I strongly suggest you check out my #1 recommended radar gun by clicking the button below.
We hope you found this Bushnell Velocity Radar Gun review helpful and informative.
If there are any other questions you have about the Bushnell Speed Gun, or anything at all that I can help you with, please leave a comment below and I will get back with you right away.
Thanks for stopping by ~Jeremy
kevin hyde says
Nice review. I was wondering what you thought about the Bushnell speedster 3? It’s a few dollars more but no one seems to talk about it? I also read reviews that said they had problems shooting through metal fences with this gun. Have you had any issues dealing with the metal fence backstops and being 20 ft. behind the catcher?
Thx
Jeremy says
Thank you Kevin.
I have seen the Speedster 3 used a couple times. I didn’t notice any problem shooting through the backstop fence.
The up sell for this model is the ability to wirelessly transmit the readings to Bushnell’s digital speed screen & the ability for tripod mounting. The guy I seen using it said that the readings didn’t always show up on the speed screen, which was the only reason he paid up for it.
The only reason I would personally pay the extra is for the tripod mounting. Other than that, it is basically the same model.
Whatever radar gun you go with, I would love for you stop back by and let us know how you liked it. Before you make a final decision, I would recommend that you check out the Pocket Radar Ball Coach. I have really come to rely on the consistent accuracy the Ball Coach provides. I won’t knock the Bushnell, in its price range, it is by far the best radar gun I have used. I just want you to keep your options open.
Check out the Ball Coach here https://baseballxgear.com/pocket-radar-ball-coach-review
Best of luck to you my friend.
Thanks for stopping by ~Jeremy
Matt McQuerry says
Thanks for the review! We have a 18u travel team here in Texas and was interested in “gunning” our pitchers and outfielders ( RF -3rd) throws. I’m hoping the Bushnell will meet our needs.
Jeremy says
Hey Matt!
I’m glad you found the Bushnell Velocity radar gun review helpful. We have found it to be a fun gun to use for the same purposes you are going to use it for with pretty accurate and consistent readings.
We still use it often, but have now switched to the Pocket Radar Ball Coach for most of our daily practice activities, mainly because we like to set up the gun on a tripod which allows us to go “hands free” and concentrate more effort to coaching while the ball coach records the readings and lets us go back and review throwing sessions.
I believe you are going to like the Bushnell and if you get the chance, you can check out our other top recommended radar guns with the link below.
https://baseballxgear.com/what-is-the-best-radar-gun
If yo get the chance, we would love to hear about your experience with the Bushnell. Stop back by and let us know how you liked it. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by ~Jeremy
removal boxes says
Hello there! This article couldn’t be written much better!
Reading through this post reminds me of my previous
roommate! He always kept preaching about this. I’ll forward this article to him.
Fairly certain he will have a great read.
Thank you for sharing!
Jeremy says
Thank you!
The Bushnell Radar Gun is a great gun for the price.
I hope you found everything you were looking for. Let me know if I can help with anything.
Thanks for dropping by ~Jeremy
Stu says
Nice in depth and detailed review! I remember these from back in the day when I used to play ball. -Stu
Jeremy says
Hi Stu!
I’m glad you found the review helpful.
Thanks for stopping by ~Jeremy
Vanessa says
I can see how this could make training a lot more fun for kids and encourage them to improve. I know when my son was younger he would have loved it! He probably would now truth be told. For cricket!
Jeremy says
Hey Vanessa!
A radar gun is definitely a great tool for helping to improve your skills.
I’m sure your son would love one, I know I do!
While I’m not too familiar with cricket, I am sure a radar gun would work to help improve anyone’s game.
Thanks for stopping by ~Jeremy
George says
Interesting site Jeremy. For a person based in London it gives real insight into Baseball in the US
Thanks
Jeremy says
You’re most welcome George.
From what I hear, baseball is thinking about playing some games across the pond in the future. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.
Thanks for stopping by ~Jeremy
naruto4444 says
Very good article 🙂
Jeremy says
Thank you Naruto4444!
I hope you found everything you were looking for.
If you need any further assistance, please let me know.
Thanks for dropping by ~Jeremy