Preparing For The End: Zombie Style

Editor’s note: While zombies may not actually be coming to get us, the products and events featured in this article are all real and could still be potentially useful in your prepping and training arsenal. Enjoy!

If you haven’t heard or seen anything about the zombie fad going through the United States right now, I don’t know where you’ve been. The zombie survival boom started with the Zombie Survival Guide written by Max Brooks and has exploded to the mainstream. Zombie survival and guns go hand in hand, and of course, the best way to make dead things deader is a well-aimed shot to the head.

Hornady Z-Max Ammo
You can’t shoot the walking dead without a good bullet, and Hornady is here to provide just that. Their Z-max ammo promises to efficiently and accurately eliminate the zed threat. It features lightweight, green polymer-tipped bullets that promise devastating expansion. Most common calibers are available, including pistol, rifle, and shotgun rounds. If you have a local undead problem, Hornady has a solution in all flavors.

Mossberg ZMB Series
Mossberg has been making guns for a long time now, and few would say they’re not good at it. If you’re in the process of choosing your zombie long gun, you can’t go wrong with something from Mossberg. Mossberg has released their ZMB series, three popular weapons dedicated to making sure you’re not served as lunch for the impending zombie horde.

First we have the Mossberg ZMB Persuader, featuring all-black synthetic furniture and a tri-rail on your fore end for all the accessories you do or don’t need. Of course, you get an eight-round capacity for some serious twelve-gauge firepower. And it’s all built on the classic Mossberg 500 platform.

Next is the Mossberg ZMB 500 chainsaw. When I first heard this name, I couldn’t help but picture a chainsaw that fired twelve-gauge or a shotgun that fired chainsaws. I was wrong. The chainsaw refers to the grip on the fore end, which is similar to that on a chainsaw. This weapon is more of a breacher’s master key than a zombie head-removal tool, featuring only a pistol grip and a breaching-style muzzle brake.

Last is the Mossberg 464 ZMB Tactical 30-30. Yep, a tactical 30-30. This one may make a few eyes roll, but personally I like this gun. Featuring a collapsible stock, a tri-rail fore end, peep sights, a M16-style muzzle break, and a 16 ¼ inch barrel, it definitely has some compact firepower. And you can’t argue that he rifle is an interesting and unique take on an old design.

Taurus Zombie Responder
So you’ve got your long gun now, but you still have a spot on your hip for a good side arm. Taurus wants to fill that spot with a gun guaranteed for close-range head removal. Besides giving a gun the title of all that is man, the zombie take on the popular Taurus Raging Judge Magnum gives you you multiple firing options. This makes scavenging for rounds simpler. You get three option for bullets: the .454 casull, the .45 long colt, and 3 or 2 ½ inch .410 rounds.

There are three features that distinguish this from your normal Judge. First are the grips— a green color scheme with bloody red claw marks. Second, the cylinder is engraved with Zombie Response over each round. And finally, I’ve seen pictures floating around of a unique box for the gun, which features a safety-yellow box with a glass front that reads, “Break in Case of Zombies.”

Ruger Zombie Slayer
So you’ve got your main long gun and your sidearm, and now you need one more. Three is never a crowd when you’re slaying zombies. You need your last-ditch weapon. So for a nice backup piece, how about the Ruger LCP Zombie Slayer?

The Ruger LCP is a .380 semi-auto compact handgun, with a 6+1 magazine. The .380 may be no magnum, but one close-range shot to the head is enough. The Zombie Slayer is only different from the Ruger LCP because it says Zombie Slayer in green on the slide and it come with a copy of the Zombie Survival Guide. Knowledge is power, ladies and gentlemen.

Zombie Industries Zombie Targets
So you have your ammo and your chosen guns; now you need your training. What’s better for practicing to kill zombies than zombie targets? Nothing. So we go to Zombie Industries, the leading producer in zombie targets. You can buy zombie targets from all price ranges here.

The paper targets are your most basic and cheapest, but still perfectly suitable for zombie target practice. You have a wide variety of interesting options, from typical bad guys like Nazis and terrorists to the IRS agent and an evil zombie clown.

But what if you want to go bigger— maybe you want a reactive target? How about skeet-holding targets? These targets hold multiple skeet in places like zombie heads, chests, and major joints. They give you the instant gratification of a well-placed shot exploding orange skeet.

Now you want to go even bigger, because you can never be too ready for the zed invasion. Cause they aren’t only zombies, but communists as well (unconfirmed, but highly likely). The biggest and best target is the three-dimensional mannequin bleeding and mutilating targets. Every gunshot gives you the proof you need. The mutilating target shows a bright orange hole wherever you shoot, giving the same satisfaction without the gooey clean up.

Outbreak Omega Shoot
So you’re armed, loaded, and trained—the last thing you need to do is test yourself. No place better do that than the DPMS Outbreak Omega Shoot. The event is featured on more than 100 acres. It features over twenty-four events to test your rifle, shotgun, and handgun skills; active targets; and a chance to test-drive other companies’ guns.

With over $100,000 dollars in prizes, gear, and coupons up for grabs, be ready for the most competitive zombie shoot you’ll ever see. And with over 12,000 shooters, registration fills up soon, so get on it.