Best plate supports?

I had some folks out shooting yesterday and one guy shot not one, but two 3/8” forged chains in half. In 15 years of shooting me plates only one other person cut a chain, a guest.
I’ve seen other options, what works best to take hits, and reduce the swinging?

Don't reduce the swinging. That's when they start to suffer. The easiest way to hang steel is with coat hangers. Cheap and Quick to fix!

+1 on letting them swing, that’s a good thing for safety and longevity.

I’ve heard that firehouse works great but never got my hands on any. I use cheap braided poly rope. One hit won’t sever the rope, unlike a chain.
Chain, however, is good if you don’t mount your chain/rope/strap behind the plate. Being behind the plate, it doesn’t get much spall, but if you just hook directly to the holes in the plate, you need chain.

I use pretty thin wire rope. I made a bunch of extras when I set everything up.

I do have some firehose here to try at some point.

This is the method we're using, at the moment:
Get a roll of baling wire, also called farm wire or tie wire. It's cheap, and easy to cut/bend to fit.
Use carriage bolts through the holes in plate, with washers and nut tightened down, and wrap tie wire an inch or two behind the nuts.
The plate will hang at a slight angle, reducing ricochets.

@InvisibleOne i really like that!

Or you could find friends who shoot better.

Sleipnir said:

Or you could find friends who shoot better.

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Both friends of my sons, the last guy is a better shot than me, AND he cut two chains

Fire hose works great. It'll take hits no problem. Some people use longer carriage bolts and offset the hose on the backside a little to give it a forward tilt. They give a nice ding when hit either way.

I tried some laser cut shepherd's hooks for smaller targets but never got it all dialed in. They'd tip over after getting hit no matter how far I stomped them into the ground.
CHRIS

BatteryOaksBilly said:

Don't reduce the swinging.

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I wasn't clear. I want them to be able to swing, yet settle quicker, and not continue to swing. I don't want me or anyone else to get hit when shooting pistol at shorter distances.

There's a fire station a block away, I'll see if they've any to throw out.

Rebar wire 400' roll under $8 at Home Depot.

Pink_Vapor said:

I want them to be able to swing, yet settle quicker, and not continue to swing.

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Hang a piece of chain about an inch behind the plate. The plate will swing back, and hit the chain. The heavier the chain, the less swing you get.

@blackbelt1222 some ideas for hanging your steel.

After getting tired of cutting and changing chain, I am starting to replace them as they go with rubber toe downs. The cone with hooks on them already, and available for cheap at both Walmart and Home Depot/Lowe’s for replacement

target on right
...pic upload not working for me at momebt

I use strips of horse stall mat.

i have some rubber belt thats is like 1/2 thick with holes drilled in it, i think i got em from shootsteel.com or somewhere similar. They work well

I use firehose. Works great. I do have an inside source for it though lol


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Zbizzle911 said:

I use firehose. Works great. I do have an inside source for it though lol


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I stopped by the firehouse by the house and asked for any old hose to be disposed.
No luck so far.

Pink_Vapor said:

I stopped by the firehouse by the house and asked for any old hose to be disposed.
No luck so far.

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Also check with street washing companies, some construction companies, or even the local DOT. They use firehoses to fill the trucks from hydrants.