Leupold is the latest company to jump into the Zombie market with their VX-R Zombie Riflescope. Based around the VX-R Patrol Scope, the VX-R Zombie has a few unique features that cater to its namesake. For starters, the power on switch is green, along with the scope’s illumination dot. The scope caps feature Zombie imagery on the inside, and the two included BDC dials are designed specifically for use with .223 REM and .308 WIN Hornady Zombie Max ammunition. The VX-R Zombie will retail for $599 with a limited production run.
http://www.leupold.com/
Archive for the ‘Zombies’ Category
SHOT Show 2012 – Leupold VX-R Zombie Riflescope
Friday, January 20th, 2012SHOT Media Range Day – EOTech
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Two new products on display at EOTech’s booth attracted my Fanboyish tendencies. The first was the MW3 Holographic Hybrid Sight II. The MW3 sight is composed of the EXPS2-2 holographic sight with 2-dot reticle combined with the G33.STS magnifier. The MW3 logo is clearly displayed on the side of the EXPS2-2. Like other kits in the Hybrid Sight family, the Quick Switch to Side (STS) mount allows the operator to disengage the magnifier with a simple lever flip, then snap it back into place as needed.
The other product is the XPS2-Z Zombie Stopper Holographic Weapon Sight. The main feature that differentiates this sight from the standard XPS2 is the use of a biohazard symbol as the target reticle, which features a 65 MOA ring with a 1 MOA aiming dot. The reticle is also displayed on the top of the sight in white instead of red. Additionally, the final product will feature a stylized Zombie Stopper logo on the side of the sight. At the very least, it’s a relatively unique concept; no other company, to my knowledge, has done a zombie themed reflex sight with a biohazard reticle before. It’ll be available in April of this year with an MSRP of $559.
JL Bourne Talks Zombie Loadout on Gear Scout
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012JL Bourne, author of Day by Day Armageddon, did a guest blog over on Gear Scout. We’ve taken the liberty linking to it here, for two 
reasons: one, the author is JL Bourne. Two, the gear is the First Spear OAGRE, and we really like First Spear.
You might want to read some background first.
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If you think JL Bourne is cool (if you don’t, you probably warm your milk and collect prize show cats) then check out his article over on Gear Scout.
Interesting Images Caught by Louisiana Hunters
Sunday, January 8th, 2012Fighting Zombies: Otis to help keep your weapon clean.
Friday, January 6th, 2012Otis Technologies has joined the ranks of major industry companies who have realized the importance of preparing for the inevitable zombiepocalyptic catastrophe that will most likely end the world. Here’s their press release to that effect.
Otis Technologies Introduces Zombie Gun Cleaning System
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If thoughts of Zombies keep you up at night, Otis Technology, the leading manufacturer of gun cleaning systems and accessories, has an apocalyptic survival item to add to your Zombie collection. Serious Zombie hunters and enthusiasts absolutely must keep their Zombie firearms clean and properly maintained to be ready for the next attack. The new Zombie Cleaning System from Otis is designed to clean all 5.56MM rifles, 9MM and 45 caliber pistols, and 12 gauge shotguns. It includes 8″ and 30″ Memory Flex® Cables for effective and correct Breech-to-Muzzle® cleaning, four (4) bronze bore brushes, a rubberized patch saver® for a 360° cleaning of shotgun barrels, and specialized precision tools for a complete breakdown and fine cleaning of all critical and hard to reach areas of your firearm. A green bore reflector/flag safety, D.O.A./85 Solvent, and a limited edition Zombie labeled soft case are a few of the unique components featured in this new system.
It’s a no-brainer. Don’t make a mindless mistake when you’re trying to save your life from the walking dead. Get back in the game and clean your Zombie firearm with Otis!
The new Zombie Gun Cleaning System will debut at SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit the Otis Technology SHOT Show booth # 14213 to see this product or to learn more. Otis Technology is known for manufacturing the most advanced gun cleaning systems available. The superior Breech-to-Muzzle® design combined with unmatched quality has positioned Otis as the gun care system of choice with the US Military. Otis Technology is SMART GUN CARE.
Danger, Zombies
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
It’s stuff like this that might make some wonder if the Zombie craze has long reached its peak. Not me, of course. I love my daily fix of the walking (or crawling) undead.
Zombie Targets and Real Steel Training for Cops and Military
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011There are a lot of different zombie targets out there, as we’ve reported before. The ones from Zero Heavy are really good too.
Some of our favorites come from the same place as Zombie Ammo, mostly because the female victims on the hostage “shoot-don’t shoot” targets all have big boobs. Granted, some of the actual zombie targets are lush and buxom too…but since they’re rotting and trying to eat you, it’s not as appealing.
The poor, hapless victim on this target definitely deserves saving.
Sexual harassment is bad enough. Being groped and possibly eaten by a zombie is entirely worse.
In any case, the point of this is that some police agencies and (so we hear) military units with a sense of humor are using zombie scenarios for training (like in this story over on BOLO Report). If you are doing anything similar, or are part of an “official” organization doing something similar, we’d love to hear from you and see some pictures.
A Very Zombie Christmas
Sunday, December 11th, 2011…as if the holidays weren’t stressful enough!
Zombies can ruin the mistletoe, even on the most festive occasions.
We like Team Unicorn.
A Slightly Different TFB Gift Idea…Zombie Gnomes?
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011It’s not that we’re unsure about the suitability of a zombie gnome as a gift. It’s a great idea. We’re just not sure if it’s appropriate to give one for Christmas or to wait a couple days and find a different excuse…though frankly we’re putting some up here locally and calling them dead elves (they’ll be under the tree). After New Year’s Eve we’ll put ’em outside where it’s a little safer for us. Anyway, apparently since Garden Gnomes are protectors of life, they are the first to fall victim to the zombiepocalypse pandemic. You can get information about them on the Zombie Gnome Facebook page, here, or e-mail doug@klonefx.com. Whichever way you go looking for one, remember two things: 1. Go for a head shot and remember they’re small, and moving. Speed is fine but accuracy is final. 2. Tell them Tactical Fanboy sent you, would you please?
The manufacturer says, When it comes to how long they will last outdoors, it depends on your climate and weather conditions. They are solid cast gypsum cement, hand painted and sealed with a matte clear UV coating. The bottoms are sealed with rubber to inhibit water absorption from the ground. If you want to reseal it, use clear polyurethane. Any sealant will wear out over time. It’s best to keep them dry and out of direct sunlight.
Say, on the subject of zombies…if you’re one of the head honchos from Zombie Squad and you read this, drop us a line. We need to have a serious chat before everything goes to hell in handbasket and the dead outnumber the living.
Zombie Attack Barbie!
Thursday, December 1st, 2011
This clever image shop by Sarah Anne Langton of Secret Arctic Base shows exactly how awesome a Barbie doll would be if the Zombie craze happened five decades earlier. Throw a few of those Zombie Ken dolls in the mix, and you’d have the ultimate playtime doomsday scenario, just with more pink and effeminate, formerly-living boyfriends. Now with grenades!
Zombie Safe House Competition Winners Announced
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011Starting last year, there has been a Zombie Safe House Competition every year. (Well, granted it’s only two years old, but it sounds 
better that way.) Architects Southwest received entries from all over, with a number of homes and fortresses designed to defend against the undead (or at least keep the occupants inside unharmed). Among the awards to be won are the Gold Shovel Award, Silver Shovel Award, Post Apocalyptic Pritzker, Best Bug In Award, and Bloody Bludgeon Award.
Surviving the Zombiepocalypse: One dead guy’s take
Saturday, November 19th, 2011Part two of a two-part series you didn’t know you should read has been released; and both are written from the point of view of one of the guys that will eventually be eating you. Here’s how part one starts out:
“Well I’ll tell you what I think, I think it’s really cute how so many future brain donors think they have such a strong grasp on this whole “Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse” thing. That’s what I think. Seriously speaking though, all this theorizing on survival techniques I see being done from the comfort of a climate controlled well lit living room, punched up onto the intrawebs via a keyboard stained bright orange from over consumption of Cheesy Balls and Mt. Dew is downright fucking adorable. As a long-time Zombie, I sincerely mean that when I say it. I really do. Its like watching children play with matches for the first time.”
Statistics Of Weapons Usage During A Zombie Outbreak
Thursday, November 17th, 2011
This “United States Government” provided poster shows the percentages for use of various weapons in Zombie outbreaks, along with the various causes for Zombies, and Max Brooks’s 10 lessons for surviving a Zombie attack. I’m assuming this data was recovered from the various movies listed in the timeline chart near the bottom. I’d hoped bladed weapons would have more prominence, but the stats don’t lie. Also, ‘Army of Darkness’ and ‘The Evil Dead’ get mentions, which I always love to see.
Taurus Zombie Responder
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
Hornady makes Zombie ammunition. Ka-Bar makes a series of Zombie blades. Now, Taurus has joined in on all the undead fun with the Zombie Responder. Like the revolver it’s based on, the Taurus Raging Judge, the Zombie Responder is chambered for .454 Casull, .45 Colt, and .410 shotshell. The Zombie Responder also features its name in stylized letters on the cylinder, once for every chamber, and a green and red grip with a claw mark/blood streak design. Its a shame that Hornady doesn’t produce Zombie ammo in the compatible calibers, because Zombie ammo used with a Zombie gun is too good a combination to pass up.
http://www.taurususa.com/
Vehicle Counterambush: Fighting Drill for the Zombiepocalypse
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011Training for the worst case scenario…that’s the way to prevail. Not just to survive (which obviously is important) but to win. Rob Pincus is a longtime firearms and tactics trainer many of you might be familiar with. He’s the host of SWAT Magazine TV, a prolific writer, author of both Combat Focus Evolution 2010 and the Training Log Book and one of the busiest instructors we know of. He’s come up with quite a few drills some of our friends use on the range themselves, but this one may be the coolest one yet – and just in the nick of time. Everyone preparing for the impending zompiepocalypse, from Ohio cops to 5.11 Tactical, are undoubtedly relaxing now that Halloween is past. As though somehow the end of the world will happily coincide with a convenient undead-friendly holiday. Complacency kills, whether you’re a cop on the street, the gunner on top of an up-armored or the leader of a zombie eradication team.
Check out this drill, and if your rangemaster has a sense of humor try it yourself. Truth be told, you could probably make the argument that it simulates having to engage from inside a heavy, rioting crowd…but zombies are a more likely threat.
Louisville Decapitron
Monday, October 31st, 2011
We here on TFB have been putting out a lot of Zombie-themed content in the recent weeks, since it’s the month of Halloween and all, and we figured another article on undead killin’ implements wouldn’t hurt since there’s no kill like overkill. Speaking of which, meet the Louisville Decapitron. A creation of Gord of Gordsgarage, the Decapitron is the melding of a large blade and a Louisville Slugger, a combination that makes for a powerful anti-Zombie weapon. The business end is meant for any undead looking to make a snack of your innards, while the blunt portion is meant to beat away any humans going after your survival stash. Anyone else getting a ‘Dead Rising 2‘ vibe from this thing, or is it just me?
Hat tip: i09 – Louisville Decapitron
Stay in the Fight: Covert Prep for the Zombiepocalypse?
Monday, October 31st, 2011Soldier Systems Daily just ran an article about SGM (Ret) Kyle Lamb’s new book Stay in the Fight (a handgun oriented sequel to Green Eyes Black Rifles). It’s a great read, good for shooters over every background and skill level, and the author is definitely someone who can opine with authority about pretty much anything he wants when it comes to tactics, doorkickery and shooting. After all, this is a man who ran with Special Forces teams from Mogadishu to Mosul and everywhere in between. If you’ve never watched any of his Viking Tactics training videos, you really need to.
However, Tactical Fanboy has been doing some undercover, secret squirrel type investigative digging, and it appears, on the surface at least, the author may have had an ulterior motive in mind…perhaps he was privy to classified documents or real-time intel the rest of us weren’t allowed to see, but it may just be that SGM (Ret) Lamb was trying to get the country ready to fight in the zombiepocalypse.
Yes, the zombiepocalypse. Silly Halloween conspiracy theory? Possibly. Look at this picture then, captured from an unknown operator’s helmet cam:
SGM (Ret) Lamb, author of STAY IN THE FIGHT and GREEN EYES BLACK RIFLES conducting risky live fire training vs. the walking dead...you'll fight like you train.
Still think it’s hokum? What about the news from a few months back that Dan Costa was stepping down as CEO of 5.11 Tactical, allegedly to work on his various charitable endeavors (especially one for at risk youth)? Perhaps he wasn’t stepping aside for that at all. PERHAPS he needed to focus all his attention on preparing some sort of zombiepocalyptic survival redoubt for his family and those of his employees?
Still dubious? Check out this picture, snapped by one of our eeeee-light team of tactical bloggers:
Kyle Lamb and Dave Rhoden Surrounded...Publicity stunt for Halloween or Prepping for the Zombiepocalyptic End Times? You be the judge.
Now, unless we’re way off our mark, that’s SGM Lamb and one of his cronies, a 5.11 Tactical guy named Dave R. (we’ll hold his last name in confidence until we can confirm the authenticity of the photo). As you can see, SGM Lamb is jocked up for a fight and Dave appears to be drawing a side-arm. The idea that the author would bring Dave along on a training or even operational mission isn’t that far-fetched. Dave has some tactical background, is a good shooter, is fit and renowned for his hearing (makes him a great scout). He’s actually an honorary Lance Corporal in the nation of Val Verde, where he once spent a summer lost in the jungle until rescued by none other than Col. John Matrix. He may or may not have once operated as a private contractor in Vulgaria. Speculation is discouraged and all official records have been buried.
Plus, if SGM Lamb got in a tight spot, he could always just kneecap him. It’s just effective use of distraction tactics.
We’ll report more on this story as we get further intelligence. In the meantime, check out the books and the videos. It’s worth your time.
Happy Halloween.
The Philosophy of the Walking Dead
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
Not sure where that came from…if you know who drew it/thought it up, let us know and we’ll give credit where it is due.
Zombies – A Hunter’s Guide
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011Available from Osprey Publishing, “Zombies – A Hunter’s Guide” by Joseph McCullough is a detailed guide on how to combat the undead menace. Along with a detailed history of Zombies and their threat to the world, the book catalogs the various types of undead that can be encountered and their strengths and weaknesses. Also covered are tactics and equipment that are to be used in a Zombie fighting scenario, with full color reconstructions to assist with identification and proper technique.
The Art of War (vs. the living AND the dead)
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
Zombie Squad: Preparing the Populace for Destruction (not TFB's spelling, by the way).
Disclaimer: TFB is concerned with the propagation of zombie rhetoric and the ever increasing frequency of self-proclaimed zombie experts and zombie-fighting pundits. These self-proclaimed experts are publishing zombie defense manuals and video of undead suppression techniques of very dubious technical accuracy. The authors or alleged Subject Matter Experts frequently have no real operational experience. True, boots on the ground, real lessons-learned zombie fighting tactics by guys who’ve been there, done that, are hard to find. There are a few out there (JL Bourne, Robert Kirkman and certain classified elements of the Zombie Squad), but not enough. Fewer still are those who will offer insight on the ‘big picture’ necessities of preparing for the zombiepocalypse. Sure, you can clear the house of the walking dead. Can you plan the campaign that will clear them out of your entire town? What about all of western Missouri? (If nothing else, push them out west and let Kansas deal with them.) Amateurs talk tactics…professionals talk strategy and logistics.
So, if you’re serious about the art and science of warfighting, you should absolutely be familiar with Sun Tzu. (One would hope that name need go unexplained.) You should also have at least a passing knowledge of the substantially less existential Clausewitz and the martial aspects of the frequently self-righteous (and pedantic) Machiavelli. Doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything they say (for instance, you may think a lot of The Prince is bombastic) but it’s worth studying. Just like you should read about Gustavus Adolphus and Von Moltke.
So, anyway, you can get copies of the book in a number of places (including on line). Alternately, if you’re one of those who only read when you’re perched atop a porcelain throne, you can watch the video series Art of War.
Don’t get too worked up about the theatrics and contrived cool-guy serious voice…it’s a tv show, they have to sell advertisements, and remember to keep it all in context and perspective. If you don’t know have a clue what a Condottiere is, you may not grasp everything old Niccolò is trying to say, and if you don’t have at least some appreciation for Taoist spiritualism, you might not appreciate Sun Tzu…then again, that might just be the perfect reason to watch instead of read.
Especially if you can park your laptop in the bathroom.
Get Your Zombie On With The History Channel Tonight!
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011Tonight, The History Channel will debut “Zombies: A Living History”. Featuring some of our favorite Zombie authors Max Brooks, Jonathon Maberry and JL Bourne, this documentary takes a look at Zombies through a historical lens.
Examining not only the voodoo Zombie but also the modern apocalyptic Zombie myth, “Zombies: A Living History” considers what makes the phenomenon just so damned scary. And oh yeah, there will be some guns in the show too.
Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic
Friday, October 21st, 2011Described as “…a fun new way of teaching the importance of emergency preparedness.”, the CDC’s ‘”Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic” is a graphic novel that uses the always nightmarish Zombie pandemic as a frame for teaching people about the importance of having an emergency kit. Seriously, the last pages include an item checklist for that very purpose. Blatant advertising aside, the art isn’t the worst I’ve seen and the story is almost passable. It also features quite a bit of unintended hilarity. For example: because it’s from the CDC, all opportunities for full-on violence are completely abandoned for a good-ole’ dose of political correctness, which leads what is unequivocally the best part of the whole graphic novel:
You can read it here.
Thanks to reader Jerry Mills for the tip.
Support Zombies
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011Write your own caption for this. Gonna need one for the car window here though.
Apocalypse – Gerber Gear
Tuesday, October 18th, 2011
A number of Gerber blades have shown up on ‘The Walking Dead’, everybody’s favorite Zombie-comic-book-turned-tv-show. I was too absorbed in the story (and Zombie killin’) to notice most of them, which is perfectly fine by me. Of course, now if anyone decides to purchase any of these tools, they’ll surely have ‘As Seen On The Walking Dead’ prominently displayed on the packaging. After that, who knows how long before Gerber does their own line of specialized anti-Zombie blades.
Up-Armored Knives: Epic camouflage
Sunday, October 16th, 2011Up-Armored Knives. We’re going to have to have one. If you’re not actually in the field on a mission where someone is actually going to be shooting at you, you’re going to want to put a bright yellow or orange para-cord lanyard on one of this guy’s knives, because otherwise it’s gone if you set it down somewhere (or drop it – which why they put the ‘cord’ in ‘dummy-cord’, dummy). Will, the man behind up-armored is a detective and an SRT member for a Sheriff’s Department in New York and he is the Charlie Daniels of the airbrush (or the Rembrandt, you be the judge). Some of these knives he makes himself (check out the Menace) others are sent in for a custom “paint job”. Everything he does is in duracote, and everything is original. No two patterns are ever going to be the same. The Menace zombie-killer is our favorite, of course, but he has digital patterns that are suitable for woodland, desert, urban and other environments. Look at the website, and Like them on Facebook to be entered into the next prize drawing. Let them know Tactical Fanboy sent you.
Desert Night Ops: Skull eyes over the eyelets is sublime.
Custom Menace "Zombie Killer"
ZT "Desert Floor" Pattern: epic custom airbrush work.
Custom "Necker" with skull pattern
ACU Pattern skull helmet. Damn. If the knives are awesome...what is this?
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