Anyone using the Zombie Survival Guide Daily Calendar?

[muttSRT]

I agree that the 22 is one of the best zombie guns, as we have talked about before. As far as long range skull penetration, you shouldn't be trying to snipe zombies anyways. Quiet and down low is always a better survival technique. Especially when you consider yesterdays post about zombie hearing.

To add to the positive attributes, low cost of both the weapon and the ammo is always a plus. A brand new Ruger 10/22 is less than $200. Its been proven over many many years as a good reliable weapon. And with ammo being less than $20 per 500 rounds, it doesn't get much cheaper to shoot. Plus the aftermarket parts available make the 10/22 a very fun gun.

Also, if you step up to a 22 magnum, you have plenty enough power to stop even the most stubborn of zombies.

Not only is the 22 good for defense, try hunting small game with your AR15's, SKS's and AK47's. Yes you can shoot a squirrel with any one, but how much edible meat will be left? The 22 is not only good for small game, but for larger game as well, but be prepared to track your kill.

Thats why my go-to weapons for Z-day include both 22 handguns and long guns, as well as a 12 ga shotgun. I should be set for defense as well as survival.

 

[whynotvap]

There's a reason the center of a target is called the 'bull's eye'. That's so you don't have to track. Just a fun fact, the caliber responsible for the most fatalities in the 19th and 20th centuries is a 22 caliber, at least in North America.

 

[technovapir]

You all know so much more about weaponry than I do! So, here's a question...as I've mentioned before, I'm due to take lessons at the gun range hopefully starting in May or June. So, I have a choice as to what type of shooting class I'll take. Since I don't know a pistol from a rifle (All I know is that one is bigger)... what do you think would be the best to start with? I was thinking smaller - since that would be easy to carry - but one of my friend's husband thinks shooting some kind of rifle at those little clay things they throw in the air would be more fun ? He also says that shooting outdoors is better than indoors. I just don't want to hurt anyone!!!

 

[whynotvap]

I'd recommend that you start with a .22lr pistol at an indoor range. The reason being that there isn't a lot of recoil with one and you can focus more on learning to shoot properly without as many distractions. Indoor has the advantage of not having cross winds or rain to contend with along with (normally) motorized target hangers. You can start off at 7yds and go out to ~20yds at the touch of a button. Indoor ranges are usually a little more expensive than outdoor though. They have to pay for those exhaust fans after all.
As far as shooting clay birds, you use a shotgun and not a rifle for a couple reasons that I'll just briefly go into. Rifles shoot their 'bullet' for a very long distance (miles if they don't hit anything) vs a shotgun that shoots a large number of small round pellets (shot) that do travel a long distance, don't normally go farther than a few hundred yards maximum. So in terms of shooting at something up in the air at an angle, the shotgun pellets have less chance of accidentally hitting someone off the shooting range grounds. So it's a matter of safe shooting practices to not shoot a pistol/rifle 'up in the air' except for emergencies. The other reason a shotgun is used to shoot clay birds is that the multiple pellets spread out once they leave the barrel and have a higher chance of hitting a target. Imagine a cone shaped area spreading outwards from the end of your barrel, this is the expected path that all those little pellets can pass through. You can adjust the flight 'pattern' with different 'chokes' to either tighten up the pattern or for more spread but that's a topic for another day (or two with the way I talk)!

Another concern I have with you shooting a shotgun as your first experience with shooting is the recoil. Bigger cartridge, more powder. More powder, bigger bang. Bigger bang, more recoil! I've seen so many people become intimidated by guns because some jack-wagon (thank you Gunny!) thought it would be funny to knock someone on their .... with a firearm way to large for a beginner... It makes me mad! I also don't think you'd have as much fun since moving targets are harder to hit and no one likes to go out to the range to miss. Pick up some zombie targets and have fun with a pistol first. Enjoy your time at the range or it will just turn into another job!!!

Start small and work your way up in size as your shooting knowledge and confidence grows and you'll never have a problem. Technique triumphs over physical size every time. My friends wife (5'1",in her upper 50's), has no problem with her husbands 10mm Glock. My own sweet dear mother can shoot a 8" .44 mag that had my fathers friends shaking their wrists!

 

[technovapir]

Thanks for your opinion whynot! That's sort of my line of thought as well. "Guys" that I know seem to always want to advise to go bigger...but I think I will probably start small. I really am intimidated by guns so learning how to handle/clean/shoot/identify them in a controlled environment will be great for me.

 

[FreakyStylie]

All of the courses that I've taken have all said that same thing. Learning to control a gun is easier when you aren't afraid of it. Small noise and small kick make it easier to focus on squeezing the trigger vs pulling or jerking and other important details. A lot of the ranges around her (I recently found out) rent handguns so you can try out different models too. The last safety course I took required us to work with different handguns for each part of the course, including the shooting portion. They didn't force new people to use bigger calibers if they weren't comfortable, but made everybody shoot the .22s, even the tough guys.

 

[muttSRT]

There's a reason the center of a target is called the 'bull's eye'. That's so you don't have to track. Just a fun fact, the caliber responsible for the most fatalities in the 19th and 20th centuries is a 22 caliber, at least in North America.

I agree with the bulls eye theory, especial when hunting for sport. But in a survival situation, you are not going to wait for the perfect shot and let bambi just walk away. All the years of "ethical hunting" will fly out the window when your belly is rumbling. I am sure that you, me or anyone else will take a wild "hail mary shot" if thats all thats presented to us.

 

[whynotvap]

Well, here's a couple universal truths concerning all firearms. You can NEVER be too safety minded. Never point the barrel at anything, at any time, that you would regret putting a hole in. The loudest sound in the world is a: Bang! when you're expecting a click followed closely by a Click! when you're expecting a bang. Always engage the safety until you are ready to fire but don't rely on it. Even if you unloaded it yourself and have checked 3 times, act as though it's still loaded (see first and second truths). Barrel's are best pointed 'down' until you are ready to shoot. Down at the ground, or down range is best when loading, unloading, or preparing to strip it down for cleaning. If you're unsure about something, ASK FIRST, most people don't mind answering questions and everyone wants more knowledgeable shooters vs less knowledgeable shooters! Oh, and anyone who thinks they know everything about firearms just hasn't been asked the right question yet...

 

[muttSRT]

Well, here's a couple universal truths concerning all firearms. You can NEVER be too safety minded. Never point the barrel at anything, at any time, that you would regret putting a hole in. The loudest sound in the world is a: Bang! when you're expecting a click followed closely by a Click! when you're expecting a bang. Always engage the safety until you are ready to fire but don't rely on it. Even if you unloaded it yourself and have checked 3 times, act as though it's still loaded (see first and second truths). Barrel's are best pointed 'down' until you are ready to shoot. Down at the ground, or down range is best when loading, unloading, or preparing to strip it down for cleaning. If you're unsure about something, ASK FIRST, most people don't mind answering questions and everyone wants more knowledgeable shooters vs less knowledgeable shooters! Oh, and anyone who thinks they know everything about firearms just hasn't been asked the right question yet...

Agree 100%.

 

[FreakyStylie]

I quizzed my stepson to give me the 4 gun laws at dinner a couple nights ago. He said there were 10, but I asked him to just give me 4. He came up with (the most common 4 laws):

A gun is always loaded, even if you unload it or think it's not.
Don't point at anything you don't want to shoot.
Make sure you know what's in front of and behind what you are shooting at.
Keep the safety on until you are ready to shoot.

I was very proud because it has been over a year since he took his course. I'll feel safe with him when needed. I could have augmented what he said a little, but left it as is. My son still has quite a way to go.

 

[whynotvap]

I agree with the bulls eye theory, especial when hunting for sport. But in a survival situation, you are not going to wait for the perfect shot and let bambi just walk away. All the years of "ethical hunting" will fly out the window when your belly is rumbling. I am sure that you, me or anyone else will take a wild "hail mary shot" if thats all thats presented to us.

The trick is to stay ahead of the game and not get the rumbles in the first place. Even native americans would stampede the whole herd of buffalo off a cliff! Dig pits, set snares, sieve net fishing, all part of surviving. When you're talking about spending a non renewable resource on a wild shot, the risk isn't worth the reward.

 

[technovapir]

I quizzed my stepson to give me the 4 gun laws at dinner a couple nights ago. He said there were 10, but I asked him to just give me 4. He came up with (the most common 4 laws):

A gun is always loaded, even if you unload it or think it's not.
Don't point at anything you don't want to shoot.
Make sure you know what's in front of and behind what you are shooting at.
Keep the safety on until you are ready to shoot.

I was very proud because it has been over a year since he took his course. I'll feel safe with him when needed. I could have augmented what he said a little, but left it as is. My son still has quite a way to go.

Those are the basic "rules" I remember being told when I was growing up. We didn't have guns in our home, but my friends did, and their dad's would give the lecture to us even though we knew not to touch the guns. Perhaps it's because we were girls instead of boys, but I don't ever remember us even being tempted to go look at /or touch the guns...Fresh baked cookies were much more appealing !

 

[technovapir]

I agree with the bulls eye theory, especial when hunting for sport. But in a survival situation, you are not going to wait for the perfect shot and let bambi just walk away. All the years of "ethical hunting" will fly out the window when your belly is rumbling. I am sure that you, me or anyone else will take a wild "hail mary shot" if thats all thats presented to us.

I will NOT eat Bambi... Every deer must be checked before shooting!!! Same for Thumper. All rabbits must be inspected thoroughly also.

 

[technovapir]

ZSG for March 23rd

Recorded Attacks is the calendar's topic today.

1968 Eastern Laos
The story says that a special forces team went through a village on the Vietnamese border where they discovered the inhabitants were in the midst of a siege against several dozen walking dead. The team leader withdrew his team & called in an air strike. No survivors of any kind.
This story came from a substance-abuse psychiatric patient and there is not evidence to corroborate.


Today's Other interesting tidbit; Did you know that Wil Wheaton (the kid wonder from Star Trek TNG)
has a blog & writes stories? His latest collection of short stories is only 2.99 for Kindle - and he has a PDF version at his website. The first story is about the zombie apocalypse and is described as this:
The Day After - Tim is an angry and scared 18 year-old, trying to decide if surviving the zombie apocalypse is worth it. WWdN: In Exile
It's a fun read - I'm not finished reading the other stories yet, but he is a fun writer.

 

[whynotvap]

Don't trust Will Wheaton! He's deceitful and never signed Sheldon's action figure. Wheaton!
YouTube - The Big Bang Theory Sheldon Vs Will Wheaton

He also cut's in line!

 

[technovapir]

Don't trust Will Wheaton! He's deceitful and never signed Sheldon's action figure. Wheaton!
YouTube - The Big Bang Theory Sheldon Vs Will Wheaton

He also cut's in line!

You're right!! I LOVE to watch Wil & Sheldon on Big Bang. My favorite was the grandmother lie episode. Sooo Evil!!!

 

[technovapir]

ZSG for March 24th

Today's topic returns to Defense strategies for two story homes.

Do not use the phone. Lines will be clogged. Turn ringer to lowest volume setting. Answer quietly.
Plan alternate escape. Be prepared to abandon your home if a fire breaks out, which may happen if a gas line bursts. Have a Go bag ready to go.

 

[technovapir]

ZSG for March 25th
Today's calendar topic is Transportation; The Sedan

This basic "car" has thousands of variations, making it difficult to generalize about their advantages & disadvantages.
If they have one drawback, it's lack of all-terrain capability.
If you drive one, imagine how it would perform crossing a field, or snow, mud, rocks or other forgotten junk. Chances are that your sedan would not get very far.
Often, the land around an infested area has been littered with broken-down and/or stuck sedans.

So, I'll just add this:

 

[FreakyStylie]

I like the axe in the back!

This is one area that I'm really hurting in! I've had my 4 wheel drive vehicles, but sold them. I got rid of an Explorer so we could have more family room and traded it in on a van. Not that an Explorer is a super vehicle, but it's better than a front wheel drive family van! I really have to get something that can get around! I wouldn't pick that rig though. It's got a giant open door in the back!

 

[technovapir]

If I may go "off topic" for a moment...I had a Wrangler a few years ago and was happily driving up near Wenatchee state park on county road when a BIG bear shambled out of the forest and stood in the middle of the road. I slammed on the brakes and he Stood to full height, which had to be over 8 feet? Being only about 20 feet away, and suddenly realizing how vulnerable we were with NO top on the Jeep...I totally Froze, as did my passengers. We sat there in complete silence until the beast decided to amble off back into the forest. As soon as he was off the road, cars behind me were pulling over to jump out of their cars & take pictures of him. I hit the gas as soon as I unfroze and we all went back to camp and laughed about what total weenies we'd become when faced with a Big Nature Experience.