AKvsARvsZombies

**MyDogsBoss** · July 13th, 2008, 10:57 AM

I hope I'm not outa line here with this senario but .... zombies at 150 ft and closing in some out in the open and others along the tree line .... AK or AR ?
I'm a noob looking for some educat'in here.

Just as general statments - please remeber,noob here:
AR's a more accurate,faster round that doesn't like (foilage/deflection)
AK's a bigger round and I'm guessing hits harder because of being a larger round and maybe doesn't mind branches etc being in the way as much as an AR would

So which one has the greatest put you out of commission stopping power?

**QuakertownRich** · July 13th, 2008, 11:11 AM

At that close range, I'd grab my shotgun with 00buck.

But, for the sake of argument...either will do.

**MyDogsBoss** · July 13th, 2008, 11:31 AM

Got 2 shotguns but looking for something with a little hair on it at 100 ft + distances.

**King 5.45** · July 13th, 2008, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by MyDogsBoss

I hope I'm not outa line here with this senario but .... zombies at 150 ft and closing in some out in the open and others along the tree line .... AK or AR ?
I'm a noob looking for some educat'in here.

Just as general statments - please remeber,noob here:
AR's a more accurate,faster round that doesn't like (foilage/deflection)
AK's a bigger round and I'm guessing hits harder because of being a larger round and maybe doesn't mind branches etc being in the way as much as an AR would

So which one has the greatest put you out of commission stopping power?

Where to begin. There's so much there that begs to be KILLED WITH FIRE!

Just kidding. Sort of. Points, though, for admitting your noobness.

Okay, first off, the AK. Standard AKs (-47 and -74 variants) are available in 5.45x39, 5.56x45, and 7.62x39 calibers. There isn't "one" caliber, and I also remember someone making a trainer in .22 LR, as well.

The middle caliber is a wash with an AR, if, of course, it itself is one chambered in .223 Remington or 5.56x45. If it isn't, well, there you go, a whole 'nother can of beens, as you might say.

See, piston-driven weapons have a bit more rattle and hum to them, since they flex a bit more, having a great big piston going back and forth. Which, you might or might not know, is the case with AKs. ARs only have a bolt carrier doing this, the gas key getting gas flowing back from out by the muzzle. All that crap makes the standard AR a somewhat dirtier system, but in as much as it really matters through the medium range and well into the long range, the AR is a bit more accurate by design. Frankly, if you start with a properly maintained and some what broken-in AR against a fleet of zombies, you probably wouldn't want to continue living even if you had managed to get to the point where your weapon failed because of carbon fouling or some unknown catastrophic failure.

7.62x39 is a decent round that closely emulates .30-30 performance. Seeing as how generations of Pennsylvanians have been fed venison protein through the vigorous application of this caliber through the winter months (and .22 CBUs otherwise), I'd say that the possibility of AKs tearing up a zombie target to be pretty decent. Especially, if you have what is called the Sapsan, or "effect" bullet loaded up in there. It's a 124 grain HP cartridge that is currently marketed by Wolf as their "Military Classic" in 7.62x39. And yes, this stuff is a real-deal manstopper, undead and reanimated, or otherwise.

Lastly, AKs are also available in 5.45x39, as variants of the AK-74. It's a nasty little needle-nose cartridge, the best of which has an air pocket up front that makes the bullet yaw wildly after it comes into contact with pliant meat-like contact medium, which is what I imagine zombies in the treeline to pretty much be like. I'd avoid the commercial crap from Wolf and others, especially the 70 grain. Generally speaking, the caliber is about half the hit-weight of 7.62x39, at best, so the kinetic potential isn't quite as great, setting aside velocity differences for the nonce, but it has almost zero recoil. Think like Selectric Typewriter recoil. Or, for you Generation Y types, think like the recoil of a Wii controller, which is pretty much zilch in comparison to the larger 7.62x39. This 5.45x39 ammo is still rather cheap as military surplus, though, so you might consider it as a viable possibility in your future undead control plans.

So, when do you go back to school, and who do you have for gym this year?

**Bacondoggy** · July 13th, 2008, 12:02 PM

well first of all, I would find out what "rules" you are going by (what I mean is what you have to do to kill a zombie) - the most popular is to destroy the brain... I suggest you check out this poster

and if you really need to know this, I would listen to this guy - he seems to know alot about zombies! (he is from the Pittsburgh area)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nla64rE5oV4

let me know what you think...

lol this one is funnier and even more stupid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l9oc...eature=related

**glockguy68** · July 13th, 2008, 02:14 PM

..I will carry my AR in my shelter taking them out at a safe distance,then my AK,after that,my shoty and 40 or 45 will always be with me...MWAAAHAHAHAHAAAA

**Scud** · July 13th, 2008, 02:29 PM

Chainsaw........

**MyDogsBoss** · July 13th, 2008, 02:30 PM

Some useful info there KING 5.45
You've got to be part Irish I'm guessing

Yeah pretty much standard calibers is what I was refering to 7.62 & 5.56

As far as back to school,at 57 I'm getting a bit old for gym class so I'm looking into some other types of muscle here on the board .... never can tell when the SHTF and the varmits leave the city for food .... I live a about 4 miles outside the Reading city limits and if you don't know anything about that town I'll tell ya it's loaded with varmit! home of drug murders,drive bys,coruption & welfare etc...

**Tater** · July 13th, 2008, 11:11 PM

I'm an FN FAL kind of guy but it sounds like an AK in 7.62x39 will take care of your immediate needs. Get yourself atleast a dozen 30rd. magazines, and a couple thousand rounds... and that's just for starters. Most importantly though... is TRAINING!
Tater

**Wasz** · July 13th, 2008, 11:29 PM

I'm going AR for zombies, one reason accuracy. You want to either make the head shot when you can, or a pelvis to slow them down and keep them from walking/shambling (I dont wanna think about fast zombies.)

Zipping bigger bullets from an AK that is only MOZ (minute of zombie) and you make torso hits it doesn't do any good, just wasted ammo. Zombies aren't going to be hiding behind stuff and if you're shooting at zombies through stuff you're not doing yourself any favors, so why is more power needed?

Yeah AR isn't as rugged as an AK I'll give you that. Theoretically it might be easier to find ammo for an AR. The reasons are endless either way, take your pick and roll with it. I'm gonna say you should buy an AR though so when the Zombpocalyps comes I can steal your stuff.