Yes, I know that the Zombie Craze can be a bit overwhelming but who cares? Apparently some purists think so and they are starting to sound a bit “Fuddish” to me.
Has the Zombie Craze jumped the Shark? Absolutely!
When a mayor ammunition manufacturer starts offering Zombie-Specific rounds, the Craze not only has jumped the shark but did it with a reverse two-and-a-half somersaults into the pool full of blood and body parts. Again, I see nothing wrong with that.
I see the point that the complainers have. Guns are serious, guns are for (self-defense, hunting, bullseye, etc. Take your pick) and we should be taking it so lightly. Dudes, relax Shooting is also supposed to be fun. “But it is not realistic!” you will hear some action shooters complain to which I respond, “please show me where people have been attacked by a Texas Star.”
What has the Zombie Craze achieved then? It has brought new people into Shooting. For the most part by a friend that already shoots and convinced them that shooting real guns with real bullets in real life beats any XBox game out there. Take a friend to a square target range to shoot bullseyes and he or she will be bored within 20 minutes. Get them safely into a fantasy game of advancing hordes of Zombies and they’ll spend an afternoon of fun…. and come back.
Some of those new shooters migrated to Action Shooting sports. We are not isolated anymore. It takes a small search on Youtube or other video hosting sites to catch a Zombie Shoot video and then a related video of some club hosting a Zombie Match besides their regular action shooting matches. All of the sudden people are exposed to IDPA, IPSC, Cowboy Shooting, Zoot Shooters, etc and think “Whoa! That looks like fun too!”
And last but not least, it makes shooting fun! I am all for training and practicing defensive shooting, but sometimes just shooting for the fun of it is right. Losing yourself in the silliness of a group discussing what caliber is best for Zombies, tactics to avoid The Crush, the need for gas masks if the Zombie attack happens in the summer (all that rotten flesh) is totally absurd and totally fun.
And lastly, you realize that Hollywood Movies notwithstanding, a shotgun is a poor choice to fight zombies: Heavy recoil, low capacity, heavy. Carbine first followed by handgun as back up. Grenades if the numbers are too great and you can herd them into a tight location.
PS: Another Shark Jumping product just released.
The popularity of zombie shoots was even discussed in the General Operations report to the NRA Board of Directors this weekend. There are some on the board who are apparently making sure the rest of the leadership doesn’t write off this trend as something too silly for attention because it is successful at bringing in new folks and even bringing seasoned shooters back into fun, new shooting competitions.
OMG… I was actually right on something? Wait till I tell SWMBO. She will flip. 😉
I can’t see where it does any good. Is this the image we want to portray of us, as gun owners? Didn’t many of you get all excited a few days ago when the gun grabbers were taking cheap shots at the gun & candle thing? I got news for ya,,,,if the Zombie Killer image continues on, they will be nothing but right. Fun is fun, but we are encouraging ourselves to be further painted “in my opinion”. Opinions are like noses, everybody has one.
Furthermore, if I ever do have to use a gun in self defense, a trail and courtroom will surely follow. Won’t it be pretty when the prosecution paints pictures of me as a “Zombie Killer”?!?!
No thanks, I will give this one a thumbs down.
There is a difference (OK, more than one) between them and us: We know how to have fun and we do not take ourselves too seriously.
Is this the image we want to portray of us, as gun owners?
As fun loving people? Hell yes! And our image among the Antis will never change even if the NRA finds a cure for cancer tomorrow. We are going to be the rednecks, morons, dangerous sister schtumping white trash.
The idea is not to convince THEM but to convince those that are not decided and are watching. My money is that they will follow the group that is smiling, not the sourpusses.
I myself would prefer to not be classed as a sourpuss. On the other hand, there seems to be a great misunderstanding in today’s gun world. It seems that if you LOOK the part, you ” have arrived”. Many now display the latest gun garb fashion (fads) and assume they can shoot. Too much emphasis on appearances and not enough on SKILLS!.
Don’t look for me on the next issues of Tacti-Kewl Dude Man. I have no interest in obtaining my Mall Ninja Certification.
Ron, I was not calling you a Sourpuss. I was referring to the Antis that are always seen with “Lemon Sucking” faces.
Yes, there is a group of Tommy Tacticals (and the new group I call Tactical Hipsters) that thrive in 5.11, MagPull and HK. Hell I have friends that love that shit and are the first ones bitching about the Zombies.
Whatever criticism you can address to the Zombie Craze crowd can also be addressed to the CASS people or the Wild Bunch or the Zoot Shooters. It is all fun and games. To me Zombies are restrictive to tell you the truth. I rather go MHI and deal with Ghouls, Werewolves, Vampires and the occasional Inter dimensional Mollusc.
So Basically, blame Larry Correia for my shortcomings 🙂
I can’t agree more on the “clicks” and “attitudes” that are prevalent with the shooting crowd. Having been on both ends of the typical “Grand Master Attitude” I can see where new shooters are misled into placing emphasis on “garb” and “appearances” to attempt at fitting in.
For the records, I play an occasional “gun game” from time to time, but I keep my mind tuned to the fact it is ONLY a game.
Today, training & practicing in reality based scenarios has my attention more than anything.
I also realize that no matter how much colored ink is on the box of bullets, they won’t perform a “COM” shot on their own.
Col. Jeff Cooper once told me ” Son, NOTHING should change with you because you carry,,,, except your awareness”.
AMEN!
Man I want an Abomination sooo bad.,
Really?
oh DUDE!
And last but not least, it makes shooting fun! I am all for training and practicing defensive shooting, but sometimes just shooting for the fun of it is right. Losing yourself in the silliness of a group discussing what caliber is best for Zombies, tactics to avoid The Crush, the need for gas masks if the Zombie attack happens in the summer (all that rotten flesh) is totally absurd and totally fun.
Best of all, zombies are safe. Nobody’s really worried about it, so you can relax and have fun– same way that my buddies on the ship would discuss how to defend against mixed zombie/vampire/werewolf hordes. ^.^
That is what I was going to say. First and foremost I shoot, train and prepare for self defense, but life isn’t much worth if it isn’t fun. Sometimes it is just to have Zombie rounds or a silly-shirt or make an off color joke. Not harm, no foul. One does not have to suffer for the other.
From your post, I don’t think you watched Happy Days, and don’t know what jumping the shark means. Jumping the Shark refers to an episode in the last season. Happy Days should have ended before that episode; the writers and actors were burned out. That episode should not have aired; it belittled the artistic achievements of the show. If you say this ammo is jumping the shark, then you are saying it should not have been made.
The expression has evolved to mean hilarious exaggeration.