When the question is “What is the best radar gun?”, there are going to be several key factors that you are going to want to consider.
In this post, we are going to discuss a few of the biggest factors that go into our process before we purchase a radar gun or recommend one to you.
We have done a ton of research on several different models and have purchased some of them for our own use.
Your options when buying a radar gun are virtually limitless, so our goal was to find the absolute best radar guns for the money.
We have boiled it down to 3, and in this post we will reveal our personal favorites. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
If you don’t feel like reading, you can check out our #1 radar gun with the button below. 🙂
Key Factors To Consider When Buying A Radar Gun
Price
As with any purchase you make, you are going to want to carefully consider how much money you are willing to spend.
Having a clear understanding of your budget is going to save a lot of time and, believe me, aggravation. Buying a new radar gun is going to be an exiting endeavor, and the last thing you want to happen is end up in an argument over money.
This is our number one factor and it should be yours too.
Purpose
Now that we have our budget squared away, we will want to consider the reasons we are buying a radar gun.
For us, our primary reason would be baseball related activities.
We use radar guns primarily as a training tool, so when we consider which gun to buy, we are looking for features that will help with things such as pitch speed improvement and the ability to review practice sessions.
Whether you are looking for a radar gun for sports, fun, a gift idea, or just looking for a way to see how fast cars are driving in your neighborhood, it’s important to have a clear understanding of why you are making the purchase.
Features
What kinds of features a radar gun has to offer can greatly determine the price you are going to pay.
This is where determining the purpose of your purchase will help you decide which features you will be willing to pay for and which ones you can do without.
For instance, if you are not a professional scout for a Major League Baseball team trying to find the next big pitching sensation, you will most likely not need a radar gun that can pick up a baseball’s speed from a hundred yards away. On the flip side, if you do happen to be a scout for the Bigs, you will definitely be paying up for that kind of distance.
See What Others Have To Say
One of the last things you should do is read about what other people are saying about the radar gun you are thinking about buying.
Luckily for me, I am around the game of baseball on a daily basis. This has given me the opportunity to see many different models of radar guns in real world use.
I have seen some very good guns and some that have left me scratching head, wondering exactly how they got away with even selling them.
I will also read some customer comments to get a good idea of why they do or don’t like it. If I find a negative comment such as “this radar gun wouldn’t pick up the ball speed from the stands”, I will look through the features of that particular model to find out the distance it offers.
I won’t immediately discount a model just because someone was trying to read pitch speeds from a football field away with a model that is rated for 100 ft.
Checking out what other people have to say about a radar gun is definitely worth the time.
Next, we will take a look at our top 3 recommended radar guns
Our #1 recommended radar gun is The Pocket Radar Ball Coach
After carefully researching the Pocket Radar Ball Coach and putting it through real life training scenarios, making the Ball Coach our #1 recommendation was a no-brainer.
Some Key Features
- Size: At roughly the same size as your average smart phone, the ball coach literally fits in your pocket!
- Accuracy: With accuracy readings of +/- 1 mph, you will feel confident that you are getting true readings every time.
- Consistency: When compared side by side with pro models and even police radar guns, the Pocket Coach gave the same reading 9 out of 10 times.
- Cost: At around 1/3 the price of a pro scout model, you will get features that even they don’t offer.
- Review Training: The ability to record up to 25 of your last speeds.
- Hands Free: While we love just about everything about the Pocket Radar, having the ability to go hands free and focus all of our efforts on real time coaching is definitely our favorite.
The Pocket Radar Ball Coach is truly the best value that you are going to find for your money. With all of the great features the Ball Coach has to offer, there really is no comparison on a money v/s feature basis.
I invite you to read my full Ball Coach review and check out a video with the Pocket Radar in action.
Up next is The Bushnell Velocity Speed Gun
If you are willing to give up a little distance and some other features for a smaller price tag, then I would recommend that you check out the Bushnell Speed Gun.
Some Key Features
- Weight: At only 19 ounces, the Bushnell is easy to hold during multiple readings.
- Trigger: Easy squeeze, point and pull trigger system.
- Display: This radar gun offers a large, easy to read LCD readout screen that is visible even in direct sunlight.
- Batteries: Requiring only 2 C batteries, you can generally expect up to 700 accurate readings.
While you will certainly be giving up some great features offered with the Pocket Radar Ball Coach, you will be getting a good, durable radar gun at a reasonable price.
Please take a few minutes to read my full Bushnell Radar Gun Review to learn about all the options it has to offer.
Now if you can afford a radar gun that can give you an accurate and consistent speed reading at 300′ and more, and are willing to spend the extra money, I recommend checking out the Stalker Sport 2 radar gun.
At 300′, this gun will give you accurate readings down to the tenth of a MPH.
Just like our other top 2 recommended radar guns, we did a lot of price vs feature comparisons and used the gun in real life scenarios. If you are willing to pay up for the added distance, this gun by Stalker will not disappoint.
Check out the link below for a full review and see everything this radar gun has to offer.
⇒⇒⇒Stalker Sport 2 Radar Gun Review⇐⇐⇐
What is the best radar gun?
Whether you decide to go with the Ball Coach, Stalker or the Bushnell, I truly believe that you will be getting the best features available in their respective price ranges. We are constantly updating our reviews and searching for the best possible deals for you. Inside each review, you will find the best price available.
I hope I have helped you answer the question concerning what is the best radar gun. If you have any other questions I can help you with, or would like to find out more about any of these radar guns, please leave a comment below and I will get back with you a.s.a.p.
Thanks for stopping by ~Jeremy
Ronal Owens says
I love the Bushnell velocity speed gun, I bought it to track my son’s pitching speed. It can also be used to test speed on a track, highway, drag strip, cycling trail, or any location where speed tracking is important.