Hornady Zombie Max

[JustinN]

Anyone mess with this stuff? Is it just their V-max/TAP whatever red tip ammo with a green tip instead? I'm assuming its all hype and feeding off the zombie craze at the moment, but how would it serve as actual Self Defense/Home Defense Ammo.

I'm trying to pick some ammo to carry in my K9, as well as to keep loaded in my AR for home defense...so I would like ammo that will cause great injury, but also not over penetrate, especially through sheet rock walls....Our bedroom is at the end of the hall with my daughter's being at the other end...so my shooting channel should I be awoken would be in the direction of her room....

[megamanfan]

As far as I know they are the same. I carry the zombie one more for fun (and because I got a great deal on them). Here is a comparison of the two: http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/2...-critical.html

[LorenzoB]

God forbid if you ever faced with the real situation where you had to take a life in self defense (that wasn't a zombie)...... A prosecutor would have a field day with that in front of a jury. And it could be a double whammy if you got all the skull and crossbone custom parts on your gun too.

In the famous words of Jocko... Just say'n

[JustinN]

That blog sounds like the Zombie stuff runs a little better. It looks like it expanded pretty well, which is counter to what I've read on other forums. I've seen a lot of people complain the "plug" they put in the hollow point mess up the expansion, but I've also seen deer taken with plugged 30-30 bullets that do way way more damage than a normal HP 30-30 would have done.

[Barth]

Anyone mess with this stuff? Is it just their V-max/TAP whatever red tip ammo with a green tip instead? I'm assuming its all hype and feeding off the zombie craze at the moment, but how would it serve as actual Self Defense/Home Defense Ammo.

I'm trying to pick some ammo to carry in my K9, as well as to keep loaded in my AR for home defense...so I would like ammo that will cause great injury, but also not over penetrate, especially through sheet rock walls....Our bedroom is at the end of the hall with my daughter's being at the other end...so my shooting channel should I be awoken would be in the direction of her room....

Choosing LE approved weapons and ammo for self defense is a safe and sure way to go IMHO.
I recommend Speer GDHP, Winchester Ranger T-Series or Federal HST.

I personally favor 124/127 gr +P/+P+ in 9mm.
But any weight or pressure ammo with these best of the best loads will serve you well.
What you are most proficient with and functions reliably in your gun is more important than ballistics.

[APSKahr]

I'm with the -don't use it unless there's no other option- camp. Many better, PROVEN, loads out there, Barth listed a couple.
I know it's stupid, and lawyers suck, and "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6" etc... but doesn't the Zombie ammo have a statement on the box not to be used on humans? You don't want anyone questioning your seriousness if it ever comes down to you defending yourself in court.
By the way, all 9mm loads will go through multiple layers of sheet rock. .223/5.56 generally has less penetration.

[JustinN]

I was always issued Speer or Winchester, depending on the caliber. I wasn't really interested in using the Zombie rounds, more just curious about them and what they were. I think the whole idea behind "Do Not Use on Humans" is because of how cartoony they look, so they're afraid someone will think they are "toy" bullets....

I will most likely stick with one of those Barth listed. I'm guessing +p helps with the penetration, since the bullet will be going faster, it should come apart a little quicker, or is that opposite of what would happen on a sheetrock wall.

[APSKahr]

The premium handgun hollowpoints are not going to come apart after passing through house interior walls. They will partially plug up and continue to penetrate through multiple walls unless they are stopped by something solid like a gunsafe, fireplace, person, or wood supports, etc. If they hit something made out of mostly water like a human, they might then expand just a tad. You should be able to find the Speer graphic out there with bullet performance after passing through barriers.

[JustinN]

I don't plan on the round hitting the wall before striking a mostly water based target, just want to make sure that if it had to get used it's not going to go on into my daughters room and into her crib. It is only a very small angle of fire from my bedroom that would create the scenario, but that is the last thing in the world I'd ever want to have happen.

[APSKahr]

Yeah, you definitely need to think in advance and choose your fields of fire. Plan on misses too, and plan on the round making it all the way through your house when you choose fields of fire.
Premium hollowpoints have expanded and passed through people before as well. You can't really control that, just plan on where your bullets are going to go.

[JustinN]

Exactly.