# RTS, scary stuff



## ChapmanHands (Oct 14, 2013)

I have been shooting for a few years now and have only had one rts before which somehow whipped around and cracked me between the shoulder blades.

Tonight I got my second one, shooting at full butterfly with what I think was about a half inch bearing I scavenged from work. Instead of leaving the pouch it came back and caught the hood of my sweatshirt, whipped my hood to the opposite side of my head and caught me lightly in the the right side of my head. Of this thing would have caught me in the face it would have been game over, and my smile would probably look like my six year old daughters, half toothless.

Really wish we knew exactly was caused this, it is these freak mishaps that can really shake up your confidence. I pocketed my shooter and called it a night.

Maybe it was my release, maybe the band's got bunched, all I know is I got very lucky.

Shoot safe everybody, wear eye protection always and never let your guard down. No matter how good you are and no matter how lucky you have always been, things happen. Wishing everybody the best and good fortunes,

Quentin


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## DougDynasty (Jul 8, 2013)

Quentin I'm so sorry to hear of this, but also thankful that ur ok bud. Could been soo bad, so far (knock on wood lol) I've never seen a rts . I have no idea what it must be like or what could possibly cause it but I hope somebody can figure this out. It's crazy to even think it could happen


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## TheNewSlingshotGuy (Oct 11, 2014)

Post a picture of your shooter with the bands you were using and how you hold them, and maybe someone can tell you the cause.

I have adopted a shooting style that makes an RTS impossible to happen! Want to see?


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## bigron (Nov 29, 2012)

TheNewSlingshotGuy said:


> Post a picture of your shooter with the bands you were using and how you hold them, and maybe someone can tell you the cause.
> 
> I have adopted a shooting style that makes an RTS impossible to happen! Want to see?


how do you shoot that makes them impossible?as long as you are shooting projectiles with a elastic and a hand held device anything can happen brother never say never :nono:


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

I haven't had an RTS for a long time but they're scary enough to really make me remember them!
The main reasons I've had them are using too heavy of ammo for a set of bands. It seems like if the ammo is accelerated too slowly to clear the pouch before it starts coming back then the ammo might get wrapped up in the pouch.
Hope that makes sense.
Also, a soft, floppy pouch with big ammo always sets off RTS alarm bells in my head.


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## ChapmanHands (Oct 14, 2013)

Thanks guys, and M.J, I think you nailed it. I never even thought about that but it deff makes sense. I was usuming single cut Wal-Mart green, cut one to three quarter inches. This is what I usually use for marbles and .36 lead.

I will bet that is what happened, but you wontcatch me experimenting to find out!


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## Can-Opener (May 11, 2013)

What was your pouch??? I agree with MJ 100 % But I also like to know about your pouch????


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## ChapmanHands (Oct 14, 2013)

No problem bud, it is a supersure super pouch.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

The other thing to watch out for is FLIP ... yep, that fork flip that some use when they shoot. If you flip, your are much more likely to snag the ammo in the pouch, and it will come right back at you.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## ChapmanHands (Oct 14, 2013)

I do not do an intentional flip but my hand does flip a little naturally after my release


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## Emitto (Sep 11, 2013)

ChapmanHands said:


> Thanks guys, and M.J, I think you nailed it. I never even thought about that but it deff makes sense. I was usuming single cut Wal-Mart green, cut one to three quarter inches. This is what I usually use for marbles and .36 lead.
> 
> I will bet that is what happened, but you wontcatch me experimenting to find out!


Yup that seems like to much ammo for the band set. And I can agree with the big soft pouches, they can wrap around the ammo!

I am glad you are ok. I still can SEE every morning my last one, a 3/4" hex nut that came back and hit me in my ribs, left a perfect mark and this happened aver a year ago.

Shoot safe people s#$t happens!

Cheers.

EG


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Twisting, tweaking, flipping, shooting OTT, floppy pouch... basically anything that has the potential to trap a ball in the pouch and send it back towards you, will at some time happen if you do enough shots.


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## LVO (Sep 25, 2011)

Glad it didn't rearrange your grill!

Last year I had a RTS using *way too heavy *ammo and it blasted my pinkie fingernail almost clean off and broke the bone as well. Worst part was this was on day 1 of a 3 day weekend home ALONE!

oh yeah, it really hurt,too

be careful folks!

link to pinkie blast

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/29975-rts-pinkie-smashgross-picture/?hl=pinkie

makes me cringe to look at it again!...lol


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

One of the main reasons I am soooo careful.

1) I have a tube set (5/16) that I only shoot heavy ammo with. These tubes are slower because of their thickness, but throw heavy ammo well. My next size down 3060, I will not shoot my 3 heavier ammo weights in this tube set.

2) I also try to make my tubes not overly long for my draw length ... 8.25" slack for 38" draw and just today got to 41" draw using different pouch hold.

3) I shoot the smallest pouch I can get away with as I don't want it to catch anything coming back

4) I try to be sure my band set is laid out with out any twisting, I want the pouch to be in an open position when nothing is in it, and do my best to keep the curl of the tubes outward so when it is coming back it gives the ammo good clearance for flight.

I sure wish there was a way to duplicate an RTS so we all can see for sure how it happens ?

LVO ... That pic of your pinky is horrible, my gosh, that must have hurt like %$%# ! ..... Was that a trip to the hospital too ?

wll

As a Side note .... are there many reported RTS's when using box store sling shots (Daisy, Barnett, Trumark )? Most of these use heavy rubber that is not supper quick ? are there reported RTS's using tapered Trumark tubes ?


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

LVO said:


> Glad it didn't rearrange your grill!
> 
> Last year I had a RTS using *way too heavy *ammo and it blasted my pinkie fingernail almost clean off and broke the bone as well. Worst part was this was on day 1 of a 3 day weekend home ALONE!
> 
> ...


What ammo and band set were U using so others may not have a RTS ... was the sling OTT or TTF ?

wll


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## LVO (Sep 25, 2011)

I can't remember the bandset but the ammo was a 1oz lead sinker. Big, heavy and went in the trash. Never had the urge to try to make correct set for that ammo. The learning curve was too steep for me...


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

LVO said:


> I can't remember the bandset but the ammo was a 1oz lead sinker. Big, heavy and went in the trash. Never had the urge to try to make correct set for that ammo. The learning curve was too steep for me...


I'm using 3/4oz egg lead sinkers, and a pretty heavy tube set that is not super fast, but heavy and throws heavy ammo well. All my heavy ammo goes out about 175-200fps. The tubes are '3/16id x 1/16w x 5/16od.

I sure would like an idea of what bands/tubes you were shooting if you could remember at all :hmm:

wll


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## LVO (Sep 25, 2011)

.04 latex, probably 3/4 inch. over the top......(finger is burning,thinking of this....lol). It was just a bad idea. I shot .177 bb's for a month after that


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## LVO (Sep 25, 2011)

.04 latex, probably 3/4 inch. over the top......(finger is burning,thinking of this....lol). It was just a bad idea. I shot .177 bb's for a month after that


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## fsimpson (May 13, 2014)

think there is a bigger chance of r t s shooting butterfly with long bands , than anchor to cheek, ear , etc. conventional

shooting ?? ( band entanglement ) think fork width and depth have anything to do with the equation ??


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

LVO said:


> .04 latex, probably 3/4 inch. over the top......(finger is burning,thinking of this....lol). It was just a bad idea. I shot .177 bb's for a month after that


That makes a lot of sense and is the general consensus of a light band set and heavy ammo.

Apparently the band set speed is not spent enough and still is faster than the heavy ammo itself leaving the pouch, at that point the pouch can turn, catch the ammo and give you an unwelcome surprise ;-(

That pic of your finger reminds me again of how dangerous a slingshot can be !!

wll


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## Lee Silva (Feb 9, 2013)

I've had too many of these rotten suckers!

and yes, over weight ammo, as well as too weak of bands, can be a factor.

I have also had RTS(Return To Silva's) caused by extreme "band foul" where wide thin bands like thera-black(mostly 1" or greater in width, long cut for butterfly) catch and return the ball... Worse on hot, humid, sticky, tangled-band days! (A very good reason to suggest powdering your bands with talc)

There have been a few times where the bands grab the ball just right, hit me, and never actually let go!!! Had to remove em by hand!


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Lee Silva said:


> I've had too many of these rotten suckers!
> 
> and yes, over weight ammo, as well as too weak of bands, can be a factor.
> 
> ...


Lee, the only thing I can say about that is OUCH ! .... That really has to hurt like heck ;-(

Are most of these "Return to Silva's" on OTT slings or ?

wll


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## fsimpson (May 13, 2014)

i`m sure a lot of you have seen this u-tube clip , but the interesting thing is this guy keeps on doing it multiple

times------------- he`s real lucky and using huge ammo...........


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Are most of the RTS done with flats as compared to tubes ?

wll


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## Lee Silva (Feb 9, 2013)

wll said:


> Lee Silva said:
> 
> 
> > I've had too many of these rotten suckers!
> ...


Yes. OTT.... Yes! Hurt like HE((, but I think maybe my story is in need of some revision. ... I did not have to remove the ammo from my flesh! It was from the bands that I had to dislodge the ammo....

Still hurt though.....


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

It was my second RTS that effectively ended my slingshot shooting. I can't remember the bandset but it was a pretty extreme one...probably heavily pseudotapered Theratube Silver or it might have been the 4 a side TBG.

Anyway the ammo was a one inch lead ball.

It whizzed past my head (I swear I felt the draught!) and smashed a mirror behind me,taking a chunk out of the wall too. An inch or so to one side and I would have been dead. Not injured. Dead.

This was the point at which I abandoned my (somewhat crazy) quest for MORE POWER with slingshots. The Boss was pretty adamant about this too having seen the wreckage afterwards.

I stick to arrows now. OK accidents can happen with arrows at higher power levels but they are less common and it is mainly a question of ensuring that the arrows can handle the slingbow's power and are undamaged. The first hint of a split in the carbon fibre and they go in the junk pile.


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## Lee Silva (Feb 9, 2013)

One inch lead!!??!!?? You must be strong as an ox, Ms.Ruthie!!


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

Lee Silva said:


> One inch lead!!??!!?? You must be strong as an ox, Ms.Ruthie!!


I confess...I like weightlifting


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## BockBorg (Dec 30, 2015)

Yeah... I was starting to get all excited about theratube silver but the idea of a metal ball being the last thing to go through my mind tunes me down some


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## csquared (Jan 4, 2016)

For some one that uses acronyms at work all day and realize not everyone knows, what does RTS stand for? I get the fact the ammo comes back at you at a rapid speed for some reason.


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## csquared (Jan 4, 2016)

I apologize the video did not load right away. Return to Sender. Got it!


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## lunasling (Apr 5, 2015)

i always use cheek anchor myself , like to see where the bands and ammo go .


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## Onyx (Dec 10, 2010)

ChapmanHands,

Thank you for starting this thread. Every member should read it.The response it 
generated is a sobering reminder of the increased risks associated with full butterfly 
shooting. The quest for more speed/momentum, as tempting as it is, increases the 
likelihood of "band fowl". That often results in RTS, fork hit and INJURY.


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## tpinaz (Dec 6, 2015)

ChapmanHands said:


> I have been shooting for a few years now and have only had one rts before which somehow whipped around and cracked me between the shoulder blades.
> 
> Tonight I got my second one, shooting at full butterfly with what I think was about a half inch bearing I scavenged from work. Instead of leaving the pouch it came back and caught the hood of my sweatshirt, whipped my hood to the opposite side of my head and caught me lightly in the the right side of my head. Of this thing would have caught me in the face it would have been game over, and my smile would probably look like my six year old daughters, half toothless.
> 
> ...


GOOD ADVICE !!


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

csquared said:


> For some one that uses acronyms at work all day and realize not everyone knows, what does RTS stand for? I get the fact the ammo comes back at you at a rapid speed for some reason.


Return To Sender. As you surmised already, it's when the ammo gets caught up in the bands or pouch and recoils back at you in stead of flying off in the intended direction.

Increased risk factors seem to be:

-extremely heavy ammo
-extremely heavy bands
-extremely wide bands 
-extremely long bands 
-careless or accidental release


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## SlingshotBill (May 29, 2014)

Hmmmm this explains some vanishing rocks i was using 107s,
worn barrnet pouch and quarter size rocks. Thanks You. this is the most Interesting topic ive read in a while on here.


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