Zombie Survival Part 2

Weapons are one of the most crucial elements of survival. No matter how tricky or fast someone is, eventually he will confront a zombie. Choosing the right weapon can be difficult, especially when the undead are literally knocking on your door. A close combat weapon is the first you should search for, as they are much easier to find. Being close enough to an infected individual to use one is extremely dangerous though, so close combat should be avoided if possible. The advantages to melee weapons are that they require little to no training, need much less maintenance, and most importantly, "Blades don't need reloading." (Brooks). The main fault, at least when using a blade, is that if a blade becomes dull, it will get lodged in the zombie. This will make it very difficult to remove, and even a few seconds of being defenseless can cause death. When using a blade, be sure to keep it sharp to prevent this from happening. Also, attempt to decapitate the zombie instead of swinging at their skull. Repeated blows to the head will cause serious damage and dulling to any blade. Good choices for a blade weapon would include axes, large knives, or swords. The best option would be the machete, since it is both lightweight and efficient (Brooks, 34).
Sometimes blades are not accessible or not the best option and that is where blunt weapons come in. Blunt weapons are objects like golf clubs, hammers, thin pipes, and baseball bats. When using these weapons, the goal is to crush the enemy's skull with a direct blow to the head. What you need to ask yourself when choosing a blunt weapon is how durable it is. Will it withstand multiple hits to a zombie skull? For example, a wooden bat would not last nearly as long its steel counterpart. A crowbar is another great example of a durable weapon. It can also be used as a stabbing weapon, open locked doors or crates, and is very light. For these reasons, the crowbar is probably the best option for blunt weaponry. There is one other option many survivors will choose, the chainsaw. What could be better? Just pull a cord and mow down row after row of zombies. Right? Wrong. A chainsaw, or any other power tool for that matter, is probably the worst possible choice. Not only is it extremely heavy, but the noise will attract any zombie within earshot. Not to mention the fact that it runs on a limited fuel supply. Unfortunately, a golf club and a knife will not be enough to fend of hoards of infected. It is just too dangerous to depend solely on melee weapons. Sooner or later, you will need to get your hands on a gun.
It must be noted that there is no perfect firearm for the zombie invasion. Firearms are a little more complicated than melee weapons, so to simplify it; all primary firearms will be split into three basic categories: rapid fire guns, shotguns, and rifles. Handguns are also suggested as secondary weapons, due to their light and accessibility, but cannot be entirely depended upon. A single handgun is simply not enough to defend yourself against the hordes of undead. Different guns are better for different scenarios, and it is good to have a variety. If possible, try to have all three types on primary weapons within your party. Firearm choice is one of the few times when the type of zombie, Crawler or Sprinter, makes a huge difference. Against Sprinters, rapid fire weapons are a blessing. All you need to do is hold down the trigger and kill anything in sight. When dealing with Crawlers, however, a rapid fire gun is a very bad idea. One well aimed shot is all it takes to take a Crawler down, so all the other bullets would be wasted. Plus, the average person tends to panic and switch to "rock 'n roll" mode (Brooks, 43), which is where they shoot wildly hoping to hit their target. This most of the time ends in disaster. Overall, an assault rifle is the best option for a rapid fire weapon. It can shoot single bullets at a time, which is good for more accurate kills, but can also fire very quickly to take down large hoards of Sprinters.
The second firearm category is the shotgun. According to the movies, a shotgun is one of the greatest zombie killing machines second only to the chainsaw. Against actual infected, this is not always the case. Shotguns are an excellent addition to any arsenal, but they are overrated.  These guns are very good at close range, as they were designed. They can kill Sprinters instantly, and the scatter effect makes taking down Crawlers much easier. The scatter effect can also be used to kill multiple zombies with one pull of the trigger or, when aimed chest height, slow an ever advancing wall of Crawlers. The most obvious downside to these weapons is that it is useless at long distances against either class. Also keep in mind that shotguns and their shells are much heavier than other guns and ammo, and they take precious time to reload. When surrounded by the undead, every second counts.
When it comes to Crawlers, rifles are probably one of the best options. They are very accurate, long range, and the lack of rapid fire forces the user to make every shot count. Obviously, semiautomatic rifles are a much better choice than bolt action. While under attack, you may not have the time to cock the bullet after every shot. Rifles and rifle ammunition are also the easiest to find (Brooks, 45). Against Sprinters, rifles are not nearly as effective. They may not be able to take down a Sprinter in one shot to the chest, and getting a headshot is almost impossible when the target is running. They are best used to pick off Sprinters from long range No matter what kind of firearm you are using, maintenance is a necessity. Always keep your guns clean and functional. The Zombie Survival Guide suggests taking the gun apart and putting it back together regularly. That way, you literally know the weapon inside out.