Zombies are coming!!!!

Charlie,

That sounds like an entertaining and informative little event. Add on some meat grilling, and you have a party.

Okay I will get to the fast moving zombies in a second.

as for distances and types of fire arms. If we are saying the average Joe, would be better off with a hunting rifle, were still wrong. While range and 5+1 rounds are supposedly the best thing, since you dont want to be shooting at zombies in close. Im gunna go from my perspective on that.  Hunting rifles are made to hit things far out. Remember this simple equation:

1 Meter = 3 Feet.

Now, with a hunting rifle, the targets you shooting at are generally  more then 150 feet to 200 feet away, with Iron sights, no scope. You can shoot farther with a scope.

The M-4 carbine, with a 2x ACOG (made by Trijicon and open to civilian purchase), can hit a 300 meter Target consistently. And with plenty enough of those being head shots. (I know, I went and used the Sim here on the base. And after zeroing the ACOG to the Weapon ((which can be done in 6 rounds if you know what your doing)) Anyone can then use that weapon and have a 94 % accuracy rating according to the computer, with 30 rounds)

300 meters is 900 feet

Now we'll use a remmington 700, bolt action, 5+1 round capacity. with a scope, you can consistently hit targets at 1000 meters, with a well zero'd weapon, alot of those will be head shots. Draw back, everyone sight picture and point of aim is differnt, so the weapon needs to be zero'd to them for something that far. which means you cant just pick up your dead buddies rifle and use it, unless you zero it first.

now 1000 meters, thats 3,000 feet away.  if something is that far...you could simply go around it.

900 feet is still a far distance, have a friend go stand 900 feet away, and see how long it takes for him to shuffle to you.
Now that I have my distance point out of the way here comes the attainability point.

Military style assualt rifles are hard to come by, unless you do it illegally. But since there is no real law during the apocolypse, how feasible would a avergae joe be able to get a assault rifle. During the beginning of the outbreak, very unlikely, since the military and police force will be using them. Several weeks in, it will be possible, since now those who were using them are either dead or zombies.

We'll go with the beginning onset of the out break.  a Fully automatic assualt rifle isnt just handed out over the counter. Most states, especially california, have strict limitations on weapons. We'll use California for example first. the good ole CA AWB (Assualt weapons ban) Bans any fire arm, that has the following: Pistol grip, bayonet lug, flash surrpressor ( note: I am not talking about a silencer). They also ban .50 cal rifles made by barret.  So in the state of california, you cannot get a AR 15/ CAR 15/ AK 47, SKS,  so on and so forth.
The states that do allow those weapons, will only allow them in a single shot  format., so you only have safe and fire to choose from.
most states ban any sort of fire arm that fires more then 10 rounds ( California/Hawaii/New jersey) all magazins over the countere for these weapons are 10 round mags. Yes you can get higher capacity, but these are generally only for law enforcement. so since were at the beginning of the outbreak, the avergae joe can only get a 10 round mag.

Now, we get back to distance.

When will you be using your rifle the most to shoot Zombies?
My idea, when your scouting for food, supply's, or simple moving to a new locations. Most "Assault Rifles" have a 13 inch barrel, compared to a hunting rifle with it 18 to 20 inch barrel. now that just barrel length.

The M-4 (CAR - 15) carbine with but stock fully extended is only 33 inches long. making it ideal for Urban operations and vehicle use.

how longs a hunting rifle? off hand Im going to say over 40 inches. that gets awkward trying to use like that. not to mention trying to aim it at something at the end of the hall....scopes arnt fun up close.

scope Duribility. Drop a hunting rifle....you have likely thrown your POA off now, and need to go re zero the weapon.
the m-4 and its  ACOG are made to be abused roughly. Youll eventually knock you POA off, but it will take more to do so.

So dispite what people say, for me a weapon similair to an assualt rifle will always be the weapon of choice over a hunting rifle for a zombie apocolypse.

Now for the fast movers

If I remember right, they werent zombies persay. Simply people that were driven to a huge rage and hunger due to a virus. the head shot theory is no need.

Simple solution, shoot it till it stops moving, dont have to worry about where you hit it. Just kill it

Now for the fast movers
If I remember right, they werent zombies persay. Simply people that were driven to a huge rage and hunger due to a virus. the head shot theory is no need.
Simple solution, shoot it till it stops moving, dont have to worry about where you hit it. Just kill it

If we go by the 28 Days/Weeks Later version... the "zombies" are just drugged out people.  So, for those folks, head shots aren't necessary.  In fact, I think the police have a preffered method when facing drugged out psychos... high caliber stopping power and aim for the chest.  Aiming for the chest and using a weapon that causes high collateral damage is actually good.  They might not feel the pain, but it will screw them over.  Also if you use ammunition that is made for human targets to do a ton of damage (ie, non-armored folks, so you want fragmenting rounds that tumble and cause vicious trauma as it rips through the body), then that's also cool.

generally a .308 hollow point, or .40 cal or greater round.

.9mm and .223 is like stabbing someone with a ice pick, youll have to put several rounds in em to eventually drop em.

If you know where to look, you can pick up just about any pistol round in a Personal Defense round.  this type of round had a steel rod in the center or the bullet, and when the bullet mushrooms out keeps it in one solid piece. Concept behind this is tranferance. ie- your charging me at 10 feet per second, I hit you with a bullet that is traveling at 1,600 FPS. The bullet enters you, mushroom, but is not allowed to fragment. Now that kinetic enegry that was hitting you is now being transfered to you. While your not going to fly back at 1,600 FPS as teh round would have slowed down significantly, you still going to get put on your rear end.

JHP's all day every day, I still like my .9mm Kel-Tec though.

i'll be fine with my bow, home-made grenades, and sharp pointies thank you very much.

that and once they do show up i know where the local precinct is.

also.. you only REALLY need to be bite proof... if you can protect your head (motorcycle helmet) or can actually come by a propper millitary helmet.. thats good.. more for actually protecting your mellon from bumps and falls and flying debris than bites..

so it being said that yuo really only need to be bite proof.. leather is the way to go.. motorcycle leathers. "if it will protect you from falling off a motorcycle @ 60mph than it will protect you from a Zombie bite"  chaine armor or plate armor.. is too heavy and cumbersome to be viable in a zombie situation.. remember zombies arent swinging swords or axes.. they are trying to bite you. and if it isnt a zombie and tis attacking you.. its using guns or explosives.. so in either of those cases chaine and plate are worthless. any chaine or plate metal armor that would protect you enough from bullets or explosives would be so thick and heavy you wouldnt be able to move aorund long enough, well enough, or fast enough to get away from the zombies.

IF you insist on wearing something bullet proof.. id suggest taking the vest and helmet off of one of the dead cops you will find or a dead national guardsman.. there will be tons of them... provided you dont live out in the middle of nowhere like some of you do.
once you have gathered gear; vest and helmet from a cop/soldier, handgun, shotgun/assault rifle from them also...they wont be needing it anymore... you should find your way to a non land locked body of water.  a large river or the ocean. find yourself a boat there and get on it. then get yourself to alaska..  cuz apparently zombies never get to alaska...

final recap.
machette
MAYBE fire axe for opening doors
vest, helmet & weapons off a dead cop/soldier
no chaine maile, no plate armor
find way to openw ater
get to alaska

but not too far north cuz there's vampires up there