Precision shooting at distance is an unforgiving discipline. Every variable compounds, and it’s easy to blame the wrong one(s). A rifle tilted even two or three degrees from true vertical will cause what shooters call cant error. Bullets don't simply fly sideways; they arc away from your point of aim in a predictable but punishing way. At 300 metres, this can put a round noticeably off to the side of the target. Spirit levels and bubble levels have been the traditional answer, but they demand that you look away from your optic, they have no feedback speed, and they give you no data to analyze later. Enter Shooters Global Pulse and Pulse Pro. On top of cant, precision shooters have to manage the cosine factor (the angle of incline or decline when shooting uphill or downhill, which makes targets behave as though they're closer than they are), hold stability (how still you can keep the rifle at the moment of trigger press), and in competition, stage timers and ballistic data for multiple targets. These are all separate problems that have traditionally required separate tools, or at best awkward paper DOPE cards duct-taped to the stock. The green light means shoot! View through a ZCO840 rifle scope at 300 meters, pretty sweet. The SG Pulse family from Shooters Global attempts to collapse several of these tools into a single small unit that mounts on the rail (or your scope mount) and communicates with your peripheral vision and your phone simultaneously. That is a genuinely useful idea, and I’ve had the pleasure of testing these units out since the autumn of 2025. The SG Pulse - The OriginalThe SG Pulse is priced from $169.99, comes in Picatinny and M-LOK variants, and its dimensions are just 1.4 × 1.0 × 0.7 inches. It is a genuinely compact and slim device that fits almost anywhere on a rail or on the side of a scope mount (attachment compatibility allowing). Schmeisser AR15 setup for DMR shooting, with a Schmidt & Bender 3-12x42 META (FFP) and an Aimpoint ACRO secondary. The red “thing” is a Riflekühl Barrel Cooler by MagnetoSpeed and the SG Pulse can be seen to the right. Its five integrated functions are the anti-cant digital level, a stability indicator that shows your MOA hold quality, a cosine indicator for angled shots, a scope levelling mode to align your optic to the rifle, and a shot transition timer. The anti-cant level works via bright LEDs visible in your peripheral vision, colour-coded to tell you whether the rifle is level. The LEDs can be adjusted for brightness, to suit shooting in darkness or direct sunlight. There’s also a custom calibration that allows you to mount the device in any orientation, anywhere on the rifle. This is more flexible than it sounds. Most electronic levels demand a specific mounting orientation, whereas the Pulse's calibration routine means you can mount it vertically, horizontally, or even at an angle and still get correct readings. The SG Pulse will blend in on almost any rifle, especially here on a Spuhr mount. The shooter is using a support bag from Armageddon Gear, which really transforms an awkward position like this into something very stable. The key limitation of the base Pulse is that several of its functions only display data on your connected phone, not on the device itself. The cosine indicator, rifle zeroing mode, and muzzle tracking are all available only via the Drills app, meaning if you're out in a field without your phone, or your phone's battery is dead, you are operating with a much simpler device. For the LED-based level, that's fine; for the rest, phone dependence can be a constraint. For those who would rather be without a phone in the field or at the range, this is the one for you! Image from Shooters Global. Battery life is quoted at up to 600 two-minute stages, which is an excellent figure, and connectivity includes Bluetooth for the Drills app, Garmin watches, and Apple Watch. I don’t think I got that much battery life out of mine, but most of my testing and competing was done in the winter with temperatures around freezing. DMR competition in the winter. First time with the Schmeisser AR15 and the ASE Utra Suppressor, and the first competition in 2026, and I finished on the podium. This is a great system - not too simple, not too complicated. For beginners and recreational shooters, the Pulse represents a thoughtful entry point. In fact, most professionals will enjoy it as well. The anti-cant feedback alone will immediately improve shots at distance for anyone who hasn't been consistently managing cant. The stability tracking through the app will reveal things about your hold that are genuinely difficult to diagnose otherwise. The price, while not trivial, is justified for what it delivers in this use case. This is probably the one electronic device that will improve your shooting in the fastest way. Shooters Global SG Pulse Buy on Optics Planet The SG Pulse Pro - The Advanced ToolThe SG Pulse Pro starts at $329.99, with the Master Kit version for $389.99. It measures 1.48 × 1.41 × 1.09 inches; it’s slightly larger in all dimensions than the Pulse, but still very compact. The most important thing the Pro adds is an actual LCD screen on the device. This changes the product category completely, at least in my eyes. The Pulse is fundamentally a feedback device; the Pro is an information hub. The LCD allows cosine indication, muzzle tracking, and rifle zeroing mode to be displayed on the device itself, not just via the Drills app, freeing you from phone dependency in the field. Image from Shooters Global The two genuinely new functions are the built-in stage timer and the digital DOPE card system. The stage timer is directly targeted at competitive shooters: you set up the timer, start it when you hear the range officer's signal, and monitor remaining time right beside your crosshair. Stage timer alerts are also delivered to your Bluetooth ear protection through the Drills app. For IPSC, PRS, DMR, or any other timed precision discipline, this is a meaningful feature; not having to glance at a separate device or listen only for a buzzer is a real competitive advantage. The DOPE card system is equally competition-oriented. You create DOPE cards in the Drills app, accounting for wind speed and direction, target locations, and your specific bullet, then flip through target data instantly on the Pulse Pro: distance, wind, and elevation for each target right beside the crosshair. You can move from target to target using the device's buttons or an external pressure switch. This replaces physical reference cards in a genuinely elegant way. Is it faster than a DOPE made by paper and pen? Most likely not, but I like devices like this and at least have the choice. Other notable additions are the magnetic accessory port (supporting add-ons including an ocular LED unit and a remote pressure switch), three physical on-device buttons for field adjustments without the app, and auto-interface orientation via an accelerometer. The stated improvement to the anti-cant level sensors is also worth noting. Shooters Global claims state-of-the-art performance, with brighter external LED indicators that they say outperform fibre optics in direct sunlight.The Pulse Pro also synchronizes automatically with SG Timers connected to the Drills app, so its stage timer auto-starts with SG Timer sessions. This is useful if you already own one of their shot timers. (Learn more about those details in: TFB Review: Shooters Global SG Timer 2 - This Beeper is a Keeper).The Pro's selling points are deeply tied to competitive precision shooting and multi-target stages, and if you mostly shoot recreationally at a single distance, much of what you are paying for will go unused. Shooters Global SG Pulse Pro Buy on Optics Planet Who should choose which, and why?The decision really comes down to what you do with your rifle and how important it is to you to be free of your phone.The SG Pulse is the right choice if you are new to precision shooting, shoot recreationally, or shoot at fixed distances where DOPE management is simple. It gives you the core tools: level, stability, cosine and at a much more accessible price, and for most shooters, these alone will measurably improve performance.Below: Magazine support on the snow at 310 meters - all hits! The phone dependency for advanced functions is inconvenient but manageable if you typically shoot with your phone accessible. The SG Pulse Pro earns its price premium for competitive precision shooters, particularly anyone participating in timed multi-target disciplines like PRS or IPSC. The stage timer and digital DOPE card are not features you can get anywhere else in this form factor., but they also require more from the user. The on-device LCD also makes the Pro genuinely standalone in the field in a way the Pulse is not. If you are shooting stages with multiple targets at different distances and elevations, working against a clock, the Pro is not just a luxury, it consolidates a few tools you would otherwise carry separately. Schmidt & Bender’s new SBX reticle for the 3-18x42 META is excellent for hunting and DMR/PRS style shooting. However, when it’s snowing heavily no optic will help. Here’s looking at three 20/30cm steel in a wooden box at 310 meters. One thing worth noting is that I don’t shoot with prescription glasses (only for protection), and at 50+ years, I’m having trouble reading the display, especially in timed events where my focus needs to be at least 300 meters out. Seeing the light signal (red-blue-green) is not an issue on any of the units; it’s more than clear without flashing your eyes. Another drawback with the Pro version is getting rid of cables and connections from sensible places. I have the old connectors, but SG has now changed to USB-C which feels like an improvement instead of using a proprietary connection and charging. I do love the small diodes, which can be placed just below the ocular. The price gap is substantial: at current prices, the Master Kit Pro is roughly twice the cost of the Pulse with a full mounting kit. That is a real difference. But for the competitive shooter who will actually use the timer and DOPE card system, the consolidation of hardware and the in-scope convenience are worth the premium. For everyone else, the SG Pulse is the honest recommendation. Simulating shooting from a helicopter, or something. Red or blue means the rifle is canted, but here you’re happy if you can hold it stable for just a very short period of time. All 8 hits in the box! If you’re interested, my recommendation is to get an SG Pulse and try it out. If you don’t like it (but you will), you could sell it to someone on the next match, or just keep it for one of your other rifles, and get the Pulse Pro to discover more.Also, don’t miss (pun intended) the TFB Review: Shooters Global SG Timer 2 - This Beeper is a Keeper.We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works.