Zombie Myth Busters & Weapons That Kill
Posted by Petra · 95 Comments
This is the 2nd installment in my series of Zombie Survival tactics as learned in Max Brook's book "The Zombie Survival Guide."
This 2nd installment focuses on zombie myths and weapon selection. Much of what we see on TV and in movies is grossly (no pun intended) misrepresented. Part of our survival is dependent on having the facts, and not the fallacies. It is my intention to give you the facts on weapon selection.
Myth Busters
Often movies portray zombies as having superhuman strength; that is simply not the case. A zombie's only strength is that which they possessed in real life as a human, no more and no less. The difference is their tenacity as they do not feel pain or remorse, rather they feel intense desire to feed - yes, on YOU!
Another myth is that zombies cannot discern between a human and another zombie if the human is mimicking the zombie's same behaviors. Believe it if you want, but expect to be eaten alive as studies have shown that while zombies are dumber than a box of rocks, they CAN tell the difference between the dead and undead. The reasoning lends itself to their heightened sense of smell, which seems to be enhanced as their other senses diminish.
One thing to find comfort in is that a zombie will eventually "rot to death" in the event it is not killed by you or another competent human. Unfortunately the time span can take up to 5 years so stay well armed and alert.
Weapons That Kill Zombies
In order to be well armed, it's important to know your weapon options and the level of protection they can provide. Too many weapons are never enough in the war against zombies but not knowing how to use your selected weapons would be bad news indeed! Train regularly and maintain your weapons! Rust or nasty misfires caused by poor planning can ruin anyone's day - that is anyone's day except a zombie's!
While close combat with a zombie is not high on anyone's list of fun things to do, it must be understand that it cannot always be avoided. Yes as a human you can move much quicker than a zombie, but a multiple zombie attack might place you in closer proximity than you would like. For this reason it is important to know a form of karate that would help you to deflect your attacker, as well as have a blunt type weapon ideal for close range. While baseball bats, hammers, rolling pins, and batons, all come to mind as viable choices, their ability to kill the brain of a zombie is not likely and thereby not necessarily a well planned choice.
Your best bet is a crowbar. Both lightweight and durable under heavy and repeated contact, this choice can also be used to pry open doors, as well as provide various other survival needs. Such as piercing the skull of a zombie and impaling it's brain. Not so easy to do with a bat, don't you think? I would also not recommend swords or knives unless you have trained extensively in these types of combat, as the close proximity these weapons call for could result in your becoming infected and ultimately converted to zombie-ism.
Power Tools & Their Alternatives
While power tools initially offer an excellent defense, it should be noted that their dependability is limited to their fuel supply, be it either plug in or rechargeable. As well, their excess weight may cause you to tire quickly, which is not advisable due to zombies having no need for sleep or rest, and you as the human needing both.
Slingshots; bows and arrows; cross-bows; throwing knives - all have advantages when sound can bring on an unwanted onslaught of nearby zombies; but unless you are an excellent marksman do not take comfort in having these as your only protection. Aim is key and if your aim is just slightly off, it could be the defining factor in your life or "un"death. I myself would want a little more "life security."
Shotguns & Machine Guns
While semi automatic rifles and sub machine guns sound really tough, their range is not conducive to killing a zombie. They are mostly effective in delaying the inevitable attack. On humans these weapons are ideal, as precision is not necessitated for the kill. Since zombies do not give up as easily, however, precision in killing the brain is critical. "Scatter guns" and guns that utilize similar ammo (such as buck shot) will not guarantee the brain has been eliminated, and probably are not the best choice of protection either. As well, there are ongoing studies that support contact with infected body parts may result in your "turning." If this is indeed true, then getting bitten is not our only concern. Coming into contact with flying severed body parts caused from the blast of one of the above weapons, could pose a life ending situation. Definitely not an ending I would like.
Pistols
In today's society pistols are without doubt the flavor of choice for all advocates of weaponry. Any die hard Clint fan has a .44; most all cops have Glocks; most chicks have revolvers (not this one - I have a glock) as they seem less intimidating. But what it all boils down to is accuracy and precision in your shot. While pistols are easily carried in bulk along with their ammo, unless you are an excellent marksman I would not recommend using this as your primary source of protection. Hitting a zombie in the chest or shoulder will not stop it. You must hit it in the brain and that requires precision. Practice Practice Practice! Go to your local shooting range regularly. Make your gun an extension of yourself. This could be your only saving grace.
.22 Caliber Rimfire Weapons
Ahhh - the ever dependable rifle. What respectful, zombie hating home would be without one??? Not mine I can assure you! This weapon is light weight, making it easier to tote on long journeys. As well, ammo for this type of weapon is plentiful throughout the country so it is not likely you will run out. While this weapon may unfortunately make it so you have to be somewhat closer to "the enemy" in order to penetrate the skull (since it is a small caliber bullet) the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Stay strong and hold your ground!
Just remember the most important rule in weapon selection as I cannot stress it enough = Practice Practice Practice!!!
What would suck even more than getting undead by a zombie is getting undead by a zombie that uses YOUR weapon on YOU!
i recomend also a machete as melee weapon because you can split a zombie in half for a hell fun time and about hijacking doors a shot from the SPASwill blow it easily.
im getting a GSG Ak-47 .22 rimfire rifle 10 to 30 round magazines ahahahaha im just waiting for the day i can use them against one of those ghouls ahahaha
if anyone wants to hit me up and know my plan email me fishmaster97@gmail.com
hey good stuff. Gave me quite a bit of advice on what weapons to use and stuff.
i dont even think this will happen but if it did i would have a shotgun and handgun a flamthrower would be good
I am going to Alaska.
if i were to make a last stand the weapons id like to be at my side is a blade (since im good at it and my skills are more than capable of decapitation) pistol (side weapon for quick kill) a few grenades (simply cuz throwing one at them wont resolt into a kill and probably send them flying over at your position i wont discount this as a weapon for a last stand you know if your over run throw one to the ground and everywhere before you die) and for a main gun id like a semi-auto rifle (carbine or m14)
I got myself a scoped, variable zoom, gas powered air rifle. Dont underestimate it. Ammo comes in boxes of a thousand, at long range it is a beastly accurate, deathly silent, super light weight and supplied with a pump.
Won’t penetrate a skull? Hear this; Pointed Ammunition. Breaks straight through any wrong doing zombie.
Yeah, cool, thats what i thought.
I would use a slingshot to kill the zombies, deathly and silent and stones are everywere.
A Crossbow would be nice too.
i would choose surpressed dual mini uzi’s. there small caliber so the surpresser would make it more quiet than an m16 or m4 surpressed and since its dual if one breaks or jams then you have another one. Or an mp5. my reasons for suggesting an mp5 is because it shoots pistol ammo.(as it states in its name)(machine pistol 5) and we all know pistol ammo is easy to come by.
wow i would take everything besides the chainsaw when u can use that fuel for your vehicle
the best way to kill a zombie is go evil dead style and twin barrel shotgun and chainsaw ha ha lets see the f**ker’s get me now and get a rpd and desert eagle for back up not that i would need them
The comments are filled with idiots.
A .22LR Hornet firing rifle is your best bet.
hmmm… my list simple
long ranged stabbing weapon easily achieved by milling a hole through a solid wooden pole e.g oak or pine preferable. then attaching kitchen blade not the whole thing just the blade using a nail and the milled holes to holster the blade fixed. then id seal it with glue that solidifies like poly filler or better (metal putty) once dried nice ranged stabbing weapon quiet and easy to wield, more importantly, a nail gun that uses co2 canisters using a screwdriver to allow more pressure through the valve making an extremely quiet and accurate hand gun, motorbike Kevlar vest, paintball neck guard and kitchen metal mesh gloves. I’m sure I wont be heard or stopped, plan of movement is to keep the upper ground and move possibly building to building via roof / balcony / alleyway. more desperate using manhole covers.
ok. This is going to sound a little crazy….but hear me out. How about we concern ourselves with the state of our lives now rather than the state of some kinetomortapheilial fantasy realm where we get to kill things for fun…. Here is brass tacks. killing to survive is no fun. you will literally be running and gunning for your life. If this somehow does happen then I am sure that none of you are going to survive….. a co2 nail gun? are you frackin serious?? the skull is a much harder thing to penetrate. by the time you raise that six pound contraption up to get a shot from 8 inches maximum, you are going to be joining the mass of …ZOMBIES!!<,.> go back to enjoying your video games and kill all the nazi zombies your heart desires. and please leave the Real Killing to people who have been trained to do so.
i would use a slingshot i have some practice with it , no problem geting ammo;
my good old thrusty 10 inch metal spick blade;
and ballbearings as slingshot ammo(besides rocks)
Ok what I would do is go to the coast and get into a light house on the winding metal staircases make a draw bridge by using a thermal lance then only go get weapons. But have my trusty katana by my side(I’m a 6 years trained black belt kendo master and I do kendo for my state team. Then I would go to the nearest plant nursery and get all the small vegetables and fruit plants I can get . Then I would raid the trusty hard ware store and get a 100m of razor wire and place it at the perimeter
Of the light house but put signs up saying beware razor wire streached around perimeter door around back entrance and then place more wire at the back so no1 can get through( I’ve only got enough food for my family and my friends nd all the hot chicks I cn save). Grab a few lengths of rope and some nails so when the zombies get through I can make a trip wire and when they trip they will pierce their skulls and brains on these nails. Go to the army barracks and steal a few claymores so when zombies step into my sandpit of death they will step and die:D and then I would grab a few generators and steal a full fuel truck and create a pump system that delivers it to the top of the lighthouse.
Now that preparations are done I can find all the beef jerky in the land and take it all.
Then I would get all the soft drinks and water possible and. Then wait for it all to die down (pun intended) and then. Build a system of rope bridges so create an escape route and then I will get my Barett 50′C nd just snipe to my hearts content:D
Oh nd guys feel free to use this method
Kenan karavoussanos awesome tactician of zombie warfare
did you really just say semiautomatic rifles are a bad idea? With a good one such as a [roperly made M16A4 you can easily hit out to 800 yeards and carry plenty of ammo. because stopping power would be unnecessary for dealing with zombies the small caliber and high velocity of 5.56 NATO wouldn’t be an issue.
Also .22 rimfire sounds great but is horrible in practice. the rimfire cartrige the most prone to misfire and malfunction due to inherent low manufacturing standards. you notice it more with a .22 pisto, than a rifle but it’s not uncommon to get a jam at least once every 5 clips.
.22 is also notorious for not always penetrating the skull, especially if it hits at the brow ridge. the bullet will often deflect and tear the skin around the skull without ever penetrating the brain cavity.
My reccomended loadout would be a colt AR15 variant either chambered in 5.56 or 7.62 as these are very common rounds, a backup pistol either chambered in 9mm or .45, semiautomatic of course, and a melee weapon you are comfortable with. I would choose a katana as it takes less energy to swing and has had thousands of years of design and innovation to make it better as a killing instrument, mostly against lightly armored or unarmored targets.
I have always thought of a zombie invashion even though im only twelve. I would grab a 12 gadge shotgun, machette, and my all time favorite a big friken revolver. Also if you think that just because im twelve that I would die well think again becase I already got these weapons at my house. So when the time comes and you see a amazing twelve year old boy walking in the middle of the street killing evey undead flesh eater in sight then will see. d:/ yea!
12 gadge shotgun, machette, and revolver.
even though im only twelve i will not die untill ive lived through it all.
I don’t get it. The comments clearly show that people are too focused on fire arms, when in their attempts to make a good argument, they show just how unfocused they are.
First weapon would be a (preferably) multi-purposed utility item; urban/suburban= crowbar/ hammer. Woodlands/Marshes = machete/ entrenching tool. Learn to use them properly= useful for other things then wackin’ Z’s; perfect… A side arm (handgun) shouldn’t even be necessary; (why carry 2 kinds of ammo, let alone another gun?) A rifle is Ideal; either hunting for food (if necessary) or ghoul-shooting. a round that can penetrate the skull is all you need, but hunting for game may require a bit more punch. But weight is an issue that can slow you down and kill you. A .22 would be adequate for just those reasons. semi-auto is acceptable to those who can maintain it and have the discipline to not simply take pot-shots like a moron. Either way, killing the undead is only the second-to last step, and from the looks of it, in the unlikely chance this scenario come to face, most of you (and maybe even I) will never make it past step one. Mostly because I’m ill-prepared, and we’re all too short-sighted to even solve the simplest of problems. Whoever considered travel via car, power tools as weapons, military-grade, full auto weapons, and luxury-class weapons are good as dead.
I do hope you realize that president Ronald Reagan was once shot in the leg with a .22LR without realizing it until later that day. Just saying, so all of you with air rifles, slingshots, and .22′s won’t be surprised when the adult human skull really is .71 inches of organic calcium deposit. Unless you are really amazing and can hit an eye socket one-for-one, you are all screwed. You might be able to carry more ammo, but even a 9mm Luger classic submachine round takes a couple tries to penetrate the cranuim from a distance of over ten feet in the field. Your best bet will be a 7.62x39mm (Your basic LMG and assault rifle ball round) of some sort, and a reliable model at that. Try to get a couple hi-cap mags while you’re at it. Look this up and get it now; there won’t be time to sit around and chat. “Oh, hey, zombie dude, wasn’t expecting you. Wait here for an hour while I run to the nearest Guns and Ammo so I can kill you when i get back.” Not gonna happen. Also, you won’t be able to carry an effective number of buckshot rounds to last one day on your person. Shotguns = bad idea in the long run, machetes have a nasty habit of getting lodged in bone matter unless you’re a frikkin King Arthur who beheads people with one go. Which you cannot do so give up. Revolvers: let me just point out the twenty precious seconds of time that are lost with every reload on those things. After six shots, you’re basically screwed.
Hey just wanted to say that all you people using slingshots/.22′s are going to be screwed when your weapon wont even pierce the zombies skull:P you would be better off with a semi-auto carbine like the kel tec sub 2000, which uses the same ammunition as most standard issue pistol caliber’s ie: 9mm lugar and .40cal S&W. Making it really easy to find some extra ammo in the event of a zompocolypse. As for a close range weapon i would have to go with a sturdy, sharp hatchet. It’s great for piercing a zombies skull plus it has many more practical uses for survival as well. and the total weight of these two weapons is way less than 1 shotgun or machine gun while also being more efficient. Hope this helps some people when Z-day is finally here:)
The best .22 rimfire is the ISSC MK22 SCAR clone. it looks badass, has a large tactical Weaver rail on the top, of the barrel shroud, and continuous on the reciever cover. and with an optional 30-rnd clip, you will have plenty of bullets to fill the brain of the undead. the MSRP is around $550 and it is an extremely good zombie weapon. Did I mention it is made in austria?
Gonna have to go with my Marlin Model 60 Rimfire 22 lr, with subsonic rounds, (for accuracy and lessen sound) It has an aftermarket fold able draganov sniper stalk, and a suppressor. This makes it quieter than a BB gun but accurate out to 175 yards… however need A soft tissue hit, like eye socket or sinus cavity for a zombie kill shot at that distance. Closer for skull penetration.
Kewl thing is, I can then switch to my side arm, which is a suppressed 22lr pistol. 15 rounds, multiple magazines, and dead silent. Neither of these two weapons would draw any undue attention.
my plan is truck, shotgun, machette, and canada
Hey! guys the best way to do is to turn on your radio and dance like “TRILLER“ from michael jackson ^^ XD: hahaha! definitely they will dance w/you because its there favorite song.
i want homemade weapons we dont have a chainsaw :’(
I’d do with a .308 Winchester with a simple hunting scope, a simple machete, a survival/hunting knife, and a crowbar for long term- survival purposes. The .308 is common cartridge with a lot more punch than the .22, but the rifle itself isn’t much heavier than the .22. The .308 can hunt medium game, the .22 is a varmint gun caliber. The machete is for eliminating troublesome zombies in close range. The crowbar, for that and for breaking into places and things.
Short term survival-wise, I’d like an M16-family assault rifle with selective fire (semi or fully auto).
.270 Mossberg sniper rifle 800 usd far enuff and to answer yes u can kill a zombie w a .22. My side arm. Is ol Walter p22 and u have to have longrifle bullets copperhead in a brass jacket is perfect. Follow me im also C.L.S Qualified have 2 zombie holocaust packs as well
I don’t know how you can say a crowbar would be better then a hammer. A hammer and small prybar can still get you in any door, and then you can nail yourself in, or even use the prybar to wedge the door shut. Not to mention a crowbar is compleatly weighted wrong for swinging. Swinging the thing over and over will tire you out fast and posibly injure you after repeated use. I’d like to see any one fight of a zombie with a torn rotary cuff. And the idea of useing a crowbar to pierce a brain is stupid, whichever end is used will plobley get stuck, and even if it take but a few seconds to pull it out i don’t think the zombies will wait for you. So yeah, crowbars are cool and look realy tough, but a hammer is made to hit things hard and do a good job of it.
In fact I recomend the “Dead On Steel” hammer, I own one and love it. I’ve only seen them at home depot or on the net, but I think once you hold one you’ll agree. Try it side by side with a crowbar, and you be the judge. While your trying this, keep in mind you’ll most likely have to swing it over a hundred time in one sitting to escape or relocate.
Most of you aren’t even considering the aggro of these weapons your naming off, 22. rifles are really one of your best bets to survive. They make low aggro, have just enough penetration to get through the cranium if hit in the right spot and theres plenty of ammo to go around, and did i mention its really accurate? So unless you have a silencer for your higher caliber guns i would suggest just going with the 22. LR. Also what most people don’t seem to understand is that a machete will get dull very fast and you have a slim chance of decapitating anything unless you can some how get to the cartilage between each vertabrae. A crowbar would be proficient at anything from smashing in heads to prying open locked doors and thus is a perfect survival tool. Going north would be smart only if its winter, the temps. here in alaska would freeze a zombie’s muscle tissue in about 10 minutes, but then theres also thinking, what happens when the summer comes and they thaw out, would they come back or just die?
Josh Doanhue´s last [type] ..Sidney J. Furie’s “Road Rage” (TV 2000)
you are all thinking too much about weapons besides guns are pretty rare except at gun shops . id recommend grabbing anything for use as a weapon anything that can knock it down is a lifesaver plus using guns is kinda bad if it penetrates all the way through it hits something then makes noise zombies have enhanced hearing too. i would choose 2 machetes or knives or swords which ever i can find also a pistol light and easy to find ammo i would take all supplies i can fit and if overun i can run and climb real fast also zombies can run real fast too so not a lot of shooting n aiming time so they can go pretty fast also because they turn into what they ate as a human what would happen if they were crazy
Just to clarify…
“A zombie’s only strength is that which they possessed in real life as a human”
Would be completely false. The fact that they are dead or infected (w/e) would make them stronger. Want to know why? Well while alive and coherent the human brain restricts how “strong” we are to prevent us from hurting ourselves. Its a built in parasympathetic nervous response.
I’ll take a columbian machete, 18 inches long, deuce and a half, jungle bowie knife, tool kit, med kit, snakebite kit, military boots, shotgun, and im all set. Watch while you see a 17 year old with a killer psycho mentality and cop glasses rampage down the street with a few freinds in the the bed of a deuce and half.
if my 3 roomates n i were the only people left in a zombie apocoliptic world:
long range weapons: 30-06 w a 150gr round, 2x barret 50 cal, longbow
medium range weapons: 2x spas12, famas mw2 red dot extended mags, remington 870 supermagnum 3 1/2 in shell capabilities,
short range weapons: rambo knife, hidden blade (assassins creed brotherhood) , duels magnums, duels desert eagles
multi-purpose weapons: chainsaw, crowbar, skeleton key, piece of gum
machine gunn brent´s last [type] ..Sidney J. Furie’s “Road Rage” (TV 2000)
Thisi have to say is retarded, i mean id give u a 4 out of a 10, i mean when was a hatchet a power tool, and yea i would recomend using a baseball bat u dumb @$$ for close combat, with just the right amount of force, u can smash the skull in, so i think u should reread what u did, and fix it.
Mar k i think the 12 gauge would put u on ur @$$ srry to say
I have survival knifes thru my house, a very large cal mosen nagant bolt action rifle for long range. And a .22 cal mossburg tactical plinkster with two 25 shot clips. 200 shots for the rifle and 1000+ for the .22 and plan on buying more .
The first thing you should do before even worrying about weapons is find a place to lock yourself up in. It seems to me that standard shuffler-types would not be able to climb stairs, and even if they can you can always block it with furniture. My favorite place would probably be the upstairs offices of a krogers. Food supply downstairs, safe refuge upstairs. Just pile up everything you can find at the doors and you got a nice place to wait it out. Another thing that is important is your clothing. The main theory now is that bites dont transfer zombie-ism, but the tranfser of body fluid, such as saliva or blood. Seeing as how most of the zombie is now just body fluid held loosely together any amount splashing onto your skin could infect you, which is why chainsaws and shotguns are a TERRIBLE idea. Dont wear thick clothing that hampers movement, because the human teeth/jaw are strong enough that they can tear at least a little bit through denim and even leather. It requires determination on the part of the biter, but zombies have plenty of that. You need long, but comfortably loose clothing that lets you move freely, including gloves, good shoes/boots a hat, and something to cover your face/neck. Long hair is now a bad idea as flying bits of goo could land in it and not be noticed until it rubs into your skin. Shave it. If at all possible immediately wash clothing after any battles.
if i were going agianst zombies and it was the end of the world as we no it today i would have these items
wepons 2 44 mag hand guns with reloadable belt with side hunting nife and a police standerd extending night stick 1 straight twin bladed thin 2 1/2 foot long bladed titanium black steel light sword with back holster 1 p-90 standers army but modifyd with a green lasser sight 1 led light with scope and 1 automatic
barrel shotgun clothing i would have black huntingboots with a modified light wieght body armor
vehicle 1 modified armored bank truck 1 kaged gokart for easy get away 1 armored ATV with traler and the speed regulater off 1 armored bus for motored head courters and rest area 1 small gas truck main HQ 3 small ware housesin diffrent areas of the town or city tripple checked no way in or out but these three areas roof top axcess back door front garage door cameras door buzzers and door alarms on all three
all the food water fistaid medicine blankets beds tools to fix cars and alarms for every house that compermized primiter alarms davertion cars to blowup on other side of town thanks to a team of 5 u no so they will come runing and be destracted total team of 30 ten for each building amd maitain radio contact every 2 hours during light every 1 hour night and change if needed pick wich time of day there less active for the time u go out never be gone longer than 4 hours always leave three people at base at all times always keep two people at ech door point 1 sleeps then the other 1 but before u do this make shure u no ther weaknessess streanths and tackticks k people come on now common strategy oh and befor i forget dont go on ur own without back up if u can help it
Really? All this arguing about 22 s are crap or 308 is best. In the end I seriously doubt it will matter even the best laid plans can fail. Whatever firearm you’re comfortable and competent with, provided you a decent supply of ammo should be sufficient. The best policy with zombies or apocolyptic raiders is to avoid them. If you happen to survive either is more likely you ll die of starvation, thirst, freezing, heat stroke, or pnuemonia. So keep your firearm handy to end your suffering and that of those you love. There are worse fates than death.