PIcked up some of this for home defense

[djspock3030]

Should do the trick

[Zebra62]

Disclaimer: Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition is NOT a toy (IT IS LIVE AMMUNITION), but is intended only to be used on…ZOMBIES, also known as the living dead, undead, etc. No human being, plant, animal, vegetable or mineral should ever be shot with Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition. Again, we repeat, Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition is for use on ZOMBIES ONLY, and that's not a nickname, phrase or cute way of referring to anybody, place or thing. When we say Zombies, we mean…ZOMBIES!

That is the disclaimer from Hornady, so you could be looking at some serious legal problems should you accidently shoot a human home invader with your zombie gun. All kidding aside, some blood sucking Defense Lawyer could conceivably make a case against an otherwise rightious home invasion case if his client is shot with zombie ammunition.

Other than the different graphics on the package and green paint on the shell, it looks like thier standard home defense load which has been proven time and again. It is a lighter load with less recoil and provides quicker times getting the following shots down range and on target. I shoot Harnady in my .303 as they are the only manufacturer to provide anything near the original military specifications for that weapon. I like them alot.

Good choice.

[Synchronizor]

Other than the different graphics on the package and green paint on the shell, it looks like thier standard home defense load which has been proven time and again. It is a lighter load with less recoil and provides quicker times getting the following shots down range and on target.

Hornady's website does seem to indicate that the Z-MAX load is the same exact thing as their Critical Defense 12ga 00B load, but with advertised muzzle velocities of 1600 fps, they don't sound like low-recoil loads at all. Standard 9-pellet 00B express loads are usually in the mid-to-low 1300s, and low-recoil stuff is generally 1200 fps or lower. The Hornady loads do have one less pellet, but 8 pellets at 1600 fps would have the same total momentum as 9 identical pellets at around 1422 fps. Sounds pretty stiff to me.

Have you had a chance to test these in your gun yet, Djspock3030? I'd be interested to know how they feel.

[djspock3030]

Not yet at $ 16 bucks retail for a box of 8 or so may never know until the Zombie Apocalypse. Good point you are most likely right about Attorneys twisting the story on the Ammo. I went to a local gun shop here and just asked my guy for some decent home defense 00 shells, thats what he handed to me I laughed and said what the hell. Curious to hear what others like for their home, I have concerns of the drywall and my boy's rooms so I wouldnt want anything to penetrate through the walls, just the intruder if need be.

I suppose until the Zombie ammo is used up, ill stick to my FNH FNP-9MM high power with Hollow Tips, have 16 chances x 2 to hit my target

[Synchronizor]

Curious to hear what others like for their home

At close ranges, without any body armor or substantial barriers in the way, pretty much any buckshot will get the job done. Even the smallest .24-caliber #4 buckshot pellets will have sufficient penetration for social work; and if you do your part, any buckshot load in a suitable defensive gauge (20ga, 16ga, or 12ga) will pack enough of these pellets to give a good chance of hitting vital organs, or at least deliver enough deep internal trauma to stop the threat quickly and reliably.

That being the case, magnum buckshot loads are usually best left for hunting. In typical indoor HD scenarios, standard-velocity express buckshot or low-recoil tactical buckshot are more than powerful enough to stop two-legged predators. Hard-kicking magnum shells are tougher to control, more punishing to shoot, and require more time to recover and line up subsequent shots - all without offering much in the way of positive trade-offs. A hit that would have been fatal with a non-magnum load won't be any more fatal with a magnum one, and a missed shot is a missed shot no matter how many pellets you're firing.

Regarding pellet size, bigger buckshot pellets give you more penetration (through both flesh and barriers) and longer lethal range, while smaller buckshot gives you less risk of overpenetration and more pellets for the same payload weight, meaning more holes in the other guy and a better chance of hitting something that will result in immediate incapacitation. Personally, I prefer express #4 buckshot (27 pellets) for close-range use inside my apartment, and express 00 buckshot (9 pellets) or 0 buckshot (12 pellets) for road trips and protection in the woods.

Whatever you decide to use, it's extremely important that you test it yourself to make sure it'll function reliably in your gun, familiarize yourself with its recoil, and determine how it'll pattern at your anticipated ranges.

I have concerns of the drywall and my boy's rooms so I wouldnt want anything to penetrate through the walls, just the intruder if need be.

Sorry, but anything that will penetrate an intruder will have no problem penetrating a sheet or two of drywall. No way around that. Take it from someone who used to work as a handyman; drywall is easy to repair, but bullet holes or stab wounds in you or your loved ones can't be patched up with a little mud and paint. If you're faced with a serious threat, end the threat and make a Home Depot run later. If someone you care about is in the line of fire, don't take the shot. Come up with a family emergency plan that involves gathering everyone in a defensible position. Then you can fend off attackers without endangering your family, or wait for the authorities to arrive if the intruders are more interested in your television.

Hopefully Zebra62 will chime in on this. He and his family have put together an exemplary home invasion plan; anyone who tries to break into their house is going to feel like the donut shop robber from Robocop 3.

[BlueStateSaint]

Remember the Zombie ROE are: Only headshots count!

[Bastard File]

I use 2-3/4" 00 in all my HD/SHTF 870's....Remington and Winchester is what I keep on hand and works well for my needs. I realize the marketing strategy has everything to do with its popularity, but I find the whole premise to be simply ridiculous!! I have not, nor will I ever purchase any of the "Zombie" only ammunition, but I don't need to as Steve Hornady is laughing all the way to the bank!!