# retrieve-R- trainer: be careful



## Dux-R-Us (Nov 6, 2009)

I love the RTR. What a great device. 

But beware of a manufactruing defect in the stock if you purchase one. I got one from Cabela's earlier this year. A defect in the PVC stock caused a hang fire and I suffered from serious blunt force trauma to my hand (bruising and broken finger).

The makers of the RTR are aware of the problem and have stepped up their QC. 

If you get one that is defective, contact the owners. The defect is in the slot that the trigger slides thru. It was not cut properly and caused the trigger to hang up.


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## J. Walker (Feb 21, 2009)

http://www.hallmarkdogsupplies.com/pdf02/CAT4.pdf

Go to page 7 of the catalog. They sell a metal stock with which you will not have that problem. Truth be told, you could probably have someone fabricate one pretty easily.

I made the mistake of firing a launcher by hand with my hand thumb side toward the top of the launcher. I don't know if it was a sprain or what but after a few launches, I had pain in my thumb that took months to heal. That's when I bought the stock and never regretted paying $60 for it.


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## fox river (Jun 18, 2011)

test test test


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## Kenneth Niles Bora (Jul 1, 2004)

Dux-R-Us said:


> I love the RTR. What a great device.


I think all of us, at some point got a RTR and thought "what a cool thing" and then as we got actual tossers, training groups, and joined a club. Never used it much. I know when I got the plastic stock I thought to myself "what a dork I am" as I could have made that in 10 min with a saw and a chunk of pipe I had in stock (pun intended).
when your at a junior test. and you see a guy that trains alone all the time with an RTR. and you see his dog run out as far as they shoot and start to hunt, instead of running all the way to the bird.....
well, then you will know. sorry about your hand. try the green or brown loads if you keep using it. Red or yellow rip your bumpers apart but will give you manly wrists if you get into arm wrestling at the county fair you will be all set;-)


.


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## Joe Dutro (Nov 20, 2007)

Ken that reminds me of the time I went out to CO elk hunting. I told the wife she could use the RTR to shoot some bumpers for the dogs so they could get some exercise in the evenings while I was gone. I showed her how to use it but I didn't actually let her shoot it before I left. You should have heard her on the phone after she used it for the first time- yellow loads.


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## Sharon Potter (Feb 29, 2004)

For those who like the hand held launchers...the DT Systems model is ported and won't kill your hand with the recoil.


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## Byron Musick (Sep 19, 2008)

I like the RTR cause for some reason my dogs want to break on it more than the typical hunt test set ups... So it makes for very entertaining steadiness drills with my kids!

Do be careful with the stock, I let it get loose, it had a gap between the two parts, I stuck my finger around the gap so that when I fired it, I lost a good chunk of skin as the two pieces of stock came together when it recoiled.... 

I use it after doing drills (if I think the dogs could use some fun)..


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## Rick Hall (Jan 21, 2003)

Ken Bora said:


> I think all of us, at some point got a RTR and thought "what a cool thing" and then as we got actual tossers, training groups, and joined a club. Never used it much. I know when I got the plastic stock I thought to myself "what a dork I am" as I could have made that in 10 min with a saw and a chunk of pipe I had in stock (pun intended).
> when your at a junior test. and you see a guy that trains alone all the time with an RTR. and you see his dog run out as far as they shoot and start to hunt, instead of running all the way to the bird.....
> well, then you will know. sorry about your hand. try the green or brown loads if you keep using it. Red or yellow rip your bumpers apart but will give you manly wrists if you get into arm wrestling at the county fair you will be all set;-)
> 
> ...


Anyone hurting their wrist with a RRT is probably holding it backwards, with their thumb forward, instead of to the rear. Correctly held, the recoiling launcher pushes one's hand along with it a bit, instead of bucking against it. (I'm a scrawny little fellow who shoots hundreds of reds and yellows a year and doesn't give recoil a thought - until I read about someone getting beat up by their RRT.) Not sure why Ken's bumpers came apart, only that mine have held up with no more than occasionally regluing a steel insert.

Also don't have trouble with dogs stopping to hunt at launcher range, because I'll occasionally hike out a way before launching to keep Pup from developing a habitual range. Who'd a thunk of such a thing?


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## HPL (Jan 27, 2011)

Ken Bora said:


> I think all of us, at some point got a RTR and thought "what a cool thing" and then as we got actual tossers, training groups, and joined a club. Never used it much. I know when I got the plastic stock I thought to myself "what a dork I am" as I could have made that in 10 min with a saw and a chunk of pipe I had in stock (pun intended).
> when your at a junior test. and you see a guy that trains alone all the time with an RTR. and you see his dog run out as far as they shoot and start to hunt, instead of running all the way to the bird.....
> well, then you will know. sorry about your hand. try the green or brown loads if you keep using it. Red or yellow rip your bumpers apart but will give you manly wrists if you get into arm wrestling at the county fair you will be all set;-)
> 
> ...


My dog's favorite in the whole world toy is the RRT. He is waiting for me to fire it in the avatar photo. I haven't ever run him at a hunt test, but since I vary the distance I fire the bumpers by varying the trajectory and stiffness of my arm, he doesn't expect every one to be 150+ yds. I can send them anywhere from 30-40 yds to somewhat over 175 yds giving him a good selection of distances. We frequently run 10-16 retrieves using the RRT in an afternoon. I am actually not a tiny fellow but have only had a problem the one time I held the launcher with my thumb up. I have also had some trouble with the newest long distance bumper. The tube came loose after less than two months of use, and a chunk of the bumper itself has broken off. It is my understanding that they are no longer getting the bumpers manufactured in the US.


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## browndogbill (Oct 2, 2010)

I have had my rrt over 17 years and fire it by hand ,if you have your thumb down it works fine. My dog loves it but I do not send her long all the time change up the distance each time.


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## jd6400 (Feb 23, 2009)

Havn`t used one since back in 70`s when pin broke and went right thru and stuck through dads hand.Bout all we used em for was planting a cold blind.Got to agree with Ken on this one


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## Rick Hall (Jan 21, 2003)

Can't help but wonder how that would even be possible.


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