Bullets specifically designed for...Zombies?

I'm always surprised by some of my Christmas gifts and this year was no exception. I got ammunition and shooting supplies but this year I got Zombie Bullets! Apparently Hornady(great ammo!) has developed bug-out bullets called Zombie-Max or Z-max for short, sporting brightly colored and sharply labeled zombie boxes. I wondered how long it was gonna be before a company jumped on the "living dead" bandwagon. They appear to be nice 115gr 9mm hollowpoints with polymer plugs.(like the more common ballistic tipped rifle bullets) Even their website it touting them as Zombie killers, saying stuff like "make sure they stay dead". Even if I don't encounter zombies they are nice carry rounds. Very cool! I got these from my sisters boyfriend. I'll have to be sure to get him something equally as useful and unique next year, or for his next birthday. COME ON ZOMBIES!! I'M READY FOR YA!

Oh, and I did get the CZ-82 mags that I wanted, brand new ones, not surplus military stuff! They are "ban mags, thus limited to 10 rounds" but I'm not gonna be sad about 2 rounds of capacity. If I can't take care of business with ten rounds I should be using a carbine!

Advice for new shooters (or those considering a firearm)

 Firearms ownership, marksmanship, hunting and sport shooting (competition) are fun, rewarding, stress relieving and productive.
First decide why you want to shoot. (the answer to this question is for your own use) Some people want home protection. Others like to eat wild game. Maybe you just want to tear up an old soup can when you're stressed out! The reason will effect the equipment that you decide to purchase. If you want to go full bore into sanctioned IDPA (International defensive pistol association) competition it is not uncommon to have over $8,000 in your equipment! or you can pick up a good used .22 squirrel hunting rifle for $110.
I think all shooters should start out learning the skills and safety protocol of shooting on a .22 rifle. They are easy to shoot, accurate, fun and the ammunition is affordable.
Next get some training. I have introduced several people to the joy of marksmanship. I am a certified Military marksmanship instructor but I lack civilian credentials. The NRA publishes a bunch of books on firearms training and safety. A competent friend that likes to shoot may be a good source of instruction as is the instructions that came with a new firearm. Maybe take a legitimate firearms class. There is probably one offered in your area.(the NRA can help with this too)  Different people require different levels of instruction, don't just go buy a gun and load it in your living room without knowing about the fundamentals of operation and safety for your new equipment. Don't be the guy that shoots a hole in his kitchen wall because he was screwing around with a loaded pistol! OR WORSE!!
Once you've mastered the .22 rifle you're ready to step up to something more powerful and potentially more dangerous. This is where you need to decide a purpose and a type of arm. If you want home defense a 12 gauge shotgun is ideal. If you're wanting something to hunt deer with you have all sorts of options in larger caliber arms from traditional flintlock muskets to .300 Weatherby Magnum. (just in case you want to shoot a deer at like a mile away!!)  A pistol is a good option at this point too. They make all sorts of hunting pistols, defense pistols, concealed carry pistols, and ones that are good at tearing up an old soup can.  It's a good Idea to study about a gun that you're interested in before you drop $700 on your purchase. Think about what you want to do with it. Forums are a good source of research information but most of the stuff is opinions.(some good and some bad)
Some firearms fill several different rolls and some have a very small niche.  A .45acp can be a concealed carry piece, a home defense tool, a IDPA competition grade arm, and a large game hunter! (It'll be better at some of these than others)
In a survival situation a .22 rifle will feed you. I shoot .22 more than anything else in my gun safe. I have taken rabbit and squirrel that I have eaten with .22 rifle. I tear up soup cans all of the time for enjoyment and stress relief with my .22s.
A good 12 gauge shotgun is the most diverse of all arms. With #4 shot it will stop an attacker immediately, with "00" double ought buckshot you can take a deer at 50 yards, with #8 you can shoot skeet and take quail and other small game animals. with a 3 1/2 inch magnum slug you can take grizzly and bull moose! Duck and geese can be taken with nothing other than a shotgun. It won't exactly fit in your purse though so this is what I recommend for a well rounded Joe:
Buy a nice .22 rifle and stay proficient with it. Pick up four more firearms after that. Get a good hunting rifle, a good shotgun, a good defensive type pistol, and a good .22 pistol.
If you have those two rifles, two pistols and a good shotgun you'll have a very diverse and capable collection.
You must know your equipment and practice with it often to remain a proficient marksman. I know people who have only one gun that they are content with and skilled. For some that is completely sufficient. I want ALL of the guns and all of the bullets. I'm addicted to shooting!
If you want advice on type and brand name of good equipment I can give you my opinion on which guns I like. I'll even take you shooting if you're curious about marksmanship.

Be advised that these are just my thoughts and opinions. There are a bunch of different ideas out there. Be safe! Oh, and wear hearing protection.

Smoke pole pepper test.

As I set here in the woods with my old side lock percussion cap muzzle loader I'm reminded why I don't hunt more often. My feet are cold and I can't be still and quiet. I don't have the patients to be a good hunter. My Android phone does allow for more entertainment than I had in past years. Too bad I can't type with my gloves on... Anyway, the pepper test: I bought my T/C Renegade used from a work acquaintance about 15 years ago for $80 well used and neglected. It was rusty in the bore and shot-out. I did my research and tried several load combinations none of which gave me the groupings that I was looking for until I tried sabot sleeves with 255gr .45s. Even then I was unsure of the proper amount of pyrodex until I found the pepper-smoke test. To perform through test there needs to be clean snow on the ground on a calm day. Load your rifle with as much powder as you feel appropriate and the projectile of your choice. Make sure your backstop is safe. Hold your rifle parallel to the ground about 1 inch above the snow and fire it. If it is expelling unburnt powder it will show in the snow as "pepper". If there is excessive "peppering" reduce your load and repeat until the peppering effect is barely noticeable. If all you get on the snow is gray smoke you may need to add to your load. I got smoke out of 80gr. In my test and peppering at 90. I shot a deer at 85gr. and was quite pleased with the effect that the 255gr XTP had on my kill. This is the only effective and fairly accurate load I have found for my wore out old ML.

What do I want for Christmas?

Aside from the usual, Peace on Earth and ammunition, I could use a new 18lb Wolff recoil spring and a good magazine (doesn't have to be a new magazine the surplus ones are still quite nice) for my CZ-82 pistol. I just love that ugly, rough little piece. It shoots good and if it was a pretty pistol I'd just scuff it up. Maybe someday I'll refinish it...nah! But I have been eyeballing some Zebra Wood grips.  If you get a chance try a CZ-82 you might be surprised. You may like really the feel. If you do your research and experimentation correctly you can push a 95gr Hornady XTP at about 1100fps without a hitch (not a good idea with lesser Maks).

Fuel...VS. The Economy

I was excited today when I was able to top-off my tank for less than $40.00. I was happy to pay only $2.98/gal at the pump! I blame OPEC for the recession as I have seen first hand the devastation caused a few years back when gas prices literally doubled in the course of a couple of months.  I had friends that had nice homes, nice cars and nice jobs but were required to commute more than an hour to work. Perhaps they were strung a bit tight but they were happy at $1.50/gal. You can blame war, the government, the banks and several other factors for the economic situation but don't forget that everything you buy at the grocery store got there in a truck powered by motor vehicle fuel. It has been a larger factor than anyone is willing to admit. I don't drive without a pressing reason like I used to anymore. I know we'll probably never see $2 a gallon again...but what a stimulant that would be to our ailing wallets!!

Maturity, Marksman style

When I came back from Iraq I still had the same passion and enjoyment for shooting. I still got the same sense of accomplishment and stress relief from my range time but something was off...Way off!!  Before I went overseas I wanted 30 round magazines, high capacity, belt fed full-auto bliss!!
When I returned I only shot my M6 single shot break-over for almost a year!! WHAT??? Don't get me wrong, I shot it a bunch but some days I'd spend 45 minutes preping the range, setting up the spotting scope, checking the weather, etc. Then I'd squeeze the trigger. If the bullet went where it was supposed to go, I'd start putting stuff away. I had highpower rifles and pistols of all varieties setting in the gun safe...unused and lonely.
So why the single shot fixation? I only wanted one perfect shot. All I worked for was one well placed round.  I have had full-auto, and the basics to all precision shooting of all types are manifested in the ability to deliver...one round precisely to the intended target. If you're full-auto then keep delivering precisely to multiple targets until the threat is gone.
I also have a new found respect for the simplicity of revolvers!! They're good, more on that later.

Old thoughts still fresh on my mind from Doyle

A year or so ago I stopped by to see my friend Doyle. He's quiet, mellow, difficult to offend and wise... as long as you don't cross him. That type of man usually has a remarkable mind.
I wanted to show him my new piece and to brag about how little I paid for it. He looked it over and we shot a few rounds through it. He was impressed with it and then said "There's a lot to be said for a marksman who has only a few guns, because he's probably quite proficient with them. What are you gonna use this one for?"
I do have several pistols. I bought this one "just because"! I hadn't considered a practical application for this little pocket pistol. I have a carry piece already that I am pretty good with so what was my intention for this equipment? It is accurate, cheap to shoot, nostalgic and durable. 
I see the logic and wisdom in his question. I'll have to shoot a lot to become proficient with all of my guns! He uses a 1911 and an old hand-me-down S&W model 10 revolver that he shoots regularly.
The lesson for me and you is this: Find a good tool and stick with it! Even my sister knows this with her Ruger P85 MKII that she is remarkable using!

Good afternoon,
The first day of December 2011 seems to be a good day to get my blog started.
A little about me. I am 38 years old. I am a Christian Baptist. I am fairly competent with computers and enjoy tinkering/troubleshooting, I'm an industrial mechanic by trade with a specialty in fabrication of equipment and parts. I have been in the ARMY National Guard for over 20 years and I currently teach Heavy Artillery. I compete in military marksmanship tournaments. I am also a certified military marksman instructor.
The future holds a great many options for me. I love shooting and studying firearms and I love to teach people how to shoot,  I also love being a mechanic. I plan to combine all of by skills into a new career that will involve opening up a gunsmithing machine shop and teaching marksmanship civilian style.
I want to do it right so I'll have to go back to school to get Machinist and Gunsmithing credentials and NRA sanctioned instructor certificates.
I've always been told that if you love what you do and do what you love, you'll never have to "work".
It'll be a long road but I've got good tread!