Shooting in the Rain 🌧

Here's the link to the video on Instagram 

2024 had way too many typhoons. I mean almost every month hitting Metro Manila. Strong wind, sideways rain, severe floods. The whole enchilada. 

Two of them were even "once in a decade" in intensity. 

Since I work in the vicinity of a few shooting ranges, I had more than a few chances to try my gear. As a bonus I would usually have the place all to myself since it would be raining cats and dogs. 

Are eclosed emitter optics useless in a storm? 

I wanted to see for myself.  I've shot in the rain a few times, wasn't terrible. I could not resist doing the same during an all out tropical cyclone. 

Optic: Holosun 510c

It was not a pleasant experience. I needed to make a few hard shakes on the gun to toss the water pooling into the emitter so I could get a serviceable retice.

Taking precise shots will be nearly twice as hard. That directly correlates to taking more time. 

As you can see in the reel, 8-inch plates at 25 meters sometimes needed more than one round. 

What about mud, blood, and undead guts? Who knows what life will throw at us? At the very least I will take more than twice the time needed to engage each target. 

When SHTF, everything has already gone sideways. So if you intend to use an open emitter optic, you'd better be practicing in ways that simulate all of these bad things rolled into one. 

Solutions

I can get an enclosed emitter optic like the Holosun AEMS or the Holosun 515GM. 

Im gravitating towards any model that has a quick-detach mount. There are also good options from Primary Arms, Trijicon, and Aimpoint. 

There are also 3d printed shrouds that can be clipped on very handily. This will be my immediate option in a few weeks. 

Having back-up iron sights are also a great option. They are inexpensive and take up little rail space. 

Our most valuable lessons come from getting out there. Might as well have some fun while you're at it. Touch some grass folks. 

Stay vigilant!

2024 AR-15 SHTF Loadout Series, Part I: Introduction

I've been wanting to post this for a really long time. Putting together a Loadout article is always a daunting task. It involves evaluating every single item related to that setup, and that takes a lot of time. Three years, in this case.

A mountain of brass and a pandemic later, I proudly present:

The Zombie Hunter's 2024 Tactical Loadout

In this series, we shall examine the ecosystem that supports our selection of primary weapons. 

Starting with the AR15, I will feature three configurations that can cover a wide variety of scenarios.

Other primary weapons are the Benelli M3T, and the JP Enterprises JP-5. They will have their own section as they excel in more specialized roles. 

For simplicity's sake, the secondary weapons are comprised of our various handguns. 

Versatility is key

Capability vs Limitations: "The Mission Drives the Gear"

I designed these three configurations to address the most likely scenarios where I will need to whip out my main fighting rifle. From heavy assault, static defense, recon, and everything in between.

Of course, like in all video games or RPG, I am primarily limited by Encumbrance (weight) and concealability.  For the latter, there will be times when I do not want to be too overt about my intentions. 

The Crye JPC plate carrier setup weighs the most but is best suited for combat. It has everything I need for a real fight but this is also the most conspicuous to wear. 

On the opposite end, the Savior Equipment magazine pouch is a bandolier that carries a fair amount of ammo and medical while being the lightest and most concealable of the three. 

In addition to all that, I will also be carrying on my back an Assault Pack that will weight around 25 pounds and has mission-related and sustainment gear.

Why The AR Platform? 

The first part will feature the AR-15. This firearm uses the most capable round for SHTF. Its effective range is ideal for urban combat and weighs a lot less than other options like 7.62 or 12-gauge shells. 

5.56 NATO can defeat armor, it has a lot of rounds on tap, its trajectory is flat thanks to my 50 meter zero. I can even hand-load this caliber. 

The firearm that we own is also reliable enough to shoot thousands of rounds without issue, and we have the parts to keep it running for a whole lot more. 

Line 2 Gear: The Battle Belt

This has seen a lot of use since 2018. Trial & error has brought me to where everything is arranged to be comfortable in any position. My battle belt supports my rifle and sidearm which can also be pressed into a primary fighting implement. 

I can sit in the car all day, go supine without hurting my lower back, lay flat on the ground and access everything I need without a hassle. Most importantly I can draw my pistol magazines and tourniquet very easily. 

I am also cross-eye dominant. That explains the placement of my rifle magazine. Go figure it out :-P

Going Forward

Various trends in the "tacti-cool" scene have came and gone from when this blog began in 2010. Battle belts, chest rigs, optics, assault packs, and armor have all undergone significant changes in that time. This blog did not follow blindly, we chose our kit wisely. 

Stay with me for part two of the 2024 Tactical Loadout Series as we examine in closer detail our three configurations for the AR-15 Ecosystem starting with the heaviest setup of the three: The Plate Carrier. 

Stay vigilant!

Pistol Caliber Carbines for SHTF

I can remember very clearly how 10 years ago people were saying that the 9mm carbine or submachinegun was obsolete.  This was when the 300 BLK platform was the cool kid and anybody who had a short barreled 5.56 was somehow doing it wrong for CQB.

Back then the only PCC I could think of was the Kel-Tec SUB2K.

The same critics are now singing praises over every new AR9 coming out saying its ideal for home defense and 9mm isn't anemic. 

I never thought that carbines were obsolete.  The US army has recently acquired a 9mm SMG.

There will always be a place for a pistol caliner carbine before, during, and after SHTF. 

For the Zombie Apocalypse, I would recommend one for a few key reasons:

1. Ammunition availability: there was never a great rimfire drought for traditional pistol ammunition. In the Philippines, 5.56 and 7.62 are hard to come by in this present political climate. 

2. Superior handling: It may lack the power and range of a proper rifle caliber, but a PCC can help a shooter land quicker and accurate fire in distances up to 100 yards far better than someone using a handgun. 

Its so easy, smaller framed people could use it effectively. 

More on that later.

3. Size: The smallest ones like the new IWI Uzi can fit inside the smallest of man-bags. An AR9 can be folded and stuffed into a laptop bag. How cool is that? 

4. Training opportunities: Many countries such as mine have competitive venues for PCC matches. Just like in the USA, the Philippines has caught... the PCC bug. We even have carry permits for them too because of convoluted gun logic that for once works in our favor. 

5. Variety: There is a PCC for everyone.  The Angstadt UDP-9, Ruger PC carbines, IWI Tavor 9mm, Norinco MsP5 clone, CZ Scorpion, Sig MPX, JP Enterprise AR9s, CMMG Banshee, and a whole lot more have already seen tournament use here in the Philippines.  

6. You could add a suppressor. Against the undead? 'Nuff said!

**********

For our young Hunter I've had two firearms in mind for her, the CMMG Banshee or the Kalashnikov KR-9. 

East vs. West!

I'm really a NATO kind of guy and prefer the AR15 ergos aesthetics, but that Russian PDW looks slick, shoots really well, and is ideal for folks who want a gun that's good to go without all the tinkering AR-platform boys like to do. 

I am likely to go with the Banshee for my stated reasons, plus parts availability and the delayed blowback technology in its bolt. An edge is and edge. 

Think of a suppressed short barreled rifle with an optic that wakes up when you grab it, plus 33 rounds on tap. 

With this in her hands she'd be incredibly potent against any foe, living or undead. 

Things are looking up. With more choices becoming available to us and careful planning we could vastly improve our defensive capabilities.  

Stay vigilant!

Outfitting a Young Zombie Hunter: The Light Reaction Kit

Our goal during a global zombie apocalypse is to survive. My daughter has spent the past few years preparing to do just that. In addition to rigorous academic pursuits, she continues to train in hand to hand combat, wilderness survival, first aid, and firearms.

The latter skill requires specialized equipment that we have acquired for our young Zombie Hunter.

Light Reaction Kit

Capabilities: 

This is her baseline equipment for fighting the undead. Its is tailored to utilize her present size and skills. If things go bad, she can put all of this on in a few minutes. With all of this she can silently destroy the undead from afar or in CQB.

At present she has qualified with her rifles to hit eyeball sized targets at 50 meters and brain sized bogeys at 100. She aspires to increase her effective range in due time.

She is also deadly accurate with her sidearm which was custom built with match grade components.

Items can be added according to the mission such as ballistic armor, melee weapons, survival and evasion gear, or additional ammunition. 

Firearms: 

The Kel-Tec SU22 was the first firearm she trained with in 2016. The suppressor makes it hearing safe with CCI Standard Velocity ammunition. Averaging 1050 fps with 40 gr. heads, these blast through hard coconut shells at 300 meters. The 3x UTG magnifier combined with the Holosun HS503c lets her engage zeds close-in and push out to medium range.

The Marlin XT-22YR uses Armscor Super Quiet ammunition. They are 40 gr. projectiles but shoot at an average of 875 fps making this rifle inaudible at 50 meters. The rifle has a buttstock bag that keeps extra magazines. Inside I was able to fit 5 more 10 round magazines and a small box of 50 more rounds of ammo. She can easily carry up to 300 more cartridges in her chest rig. 

The sidearm is a Metro Arms MAC Classic 1911 chambered in 9mm. We enhanced all of the pistol's internals with EGW parts for top level performance, all installed and tuned by one the best gunsmiths in the country.  

Carry ammo is Hornady Critical Duty but I load primarily 147 gr. SWC heads for maximum accuracy.

It is also her competition handgun in IPSC matches. We hope to bring it to California so she could give USPSA rules a go. 

Load Bearing Gear: 

click to enlarge

Yes that was my 5.11 TacTec Chest Rig, its hers now. With minor adjustments it fits perfectly. I'm particularly fond of how easily the six magazine pouches hold all everything in a very low profile. She can conceal all of this under a jacket.

An essential tool is the Vortex Ranger 1000. This rangefinder has a red LED display so she can stalk prey at nighttime. It is fast and precise so all of her shots land with pinpoint accuracy.

The radio is a Versa Alerto dual band HAM radio. Its basically identical to the popular Baofeng UV5R. We have a few more of these that are always ready to use along with spare batteries.

The medical items could be found at the right side pocket of the photograph. I decided to just put them in there instead of a dedicated medical pouch to minimize bulk.

The gas mask was purchased via VARUSTELEKA in Finland. I'm quite happy about their products services. They ship directly to the Philippines in less than a week's time. We replaced the old army surplus filters with a new one.

The ESSTAC Shooter's belt is fantastic. It has a rigid inner lining that helps keep everything upright. The build quality tells me that this will see decades of use as long as the user's waistline stays generally the same. I love this belt!

I will replace that BLACKHAWK Serpa as soon as our Enhanced Community Quarantine is over with a mid-ride Safariland ALS holster. Its the only thing that I want to change in this entire setup.

The Schrade SCHF13 drop point is her favorite knife, totally loves that thing. Glad to know she has something to use if ammunition ever runs out or to pry open a can to eat.

The 5.11 3x6 Medical Kit was one of our earliest accessories. It carries just enough to control massive bleeding.


Putting it Together

Smart placement is key. She should be able to grab anything instinctively.

Look at how slick her back is. She could put on a survival backpack or sit in vehicles without any difficulty.

She prefers to keep the magazine pouches open for quick access. Elastic bands in the pouches keep them from falling out. Saying it again: that ESSTAC Shooter's Belt is smokin' hot. The Geissele hat? Top tier swag!

Going stealthy with her Marlin XT-22YR

The Hunter and her knife

That's a pro shooter's grip.

The most important thing is to make everything suit the user.

She's had this chest rig long enough to work out the kinks and train with all of the items.

Should SHTF happen, there would be more than one in our household who could save the day. I've been looking forward to putting this article for many years.

She helped me quite a bit on this project. From the photoshoots, suggestions, and practice sessions.

In her language, this was a great 'collab.

She asked me just now what would her dodo (granddad) would say about all of her training. I told her that all of us are immensely proud of her. Thank goodness she likes to learn new things with me. That alone gives us more than a fighting chance.

She's come a long way but we will keep on training, learning more, and equipping better.

Keep on moving if you want to survive, for even the undead do not stand still.

Stay vigilant!

Product Review: Kel-Tec P3AT (After 6 Years)

Shooting footage! YEET!

I've had this pistol since 2013 and ran it like crazy over the years, easily over a thousand rounds. What a wild ride its been. Today I will do my best to give an honest review and the history of my second EDC pistol.

photo by Oleg Volk

I purchased it in 2012. My first carry firearm was an Armscor .38 spl revolver, the M206. It was heavy, bulky, but it was adequate at the time. 

That wheelgun was on my hip and man bag for more than a year and I felt that a change was needed. 

Back then the Kel-Tec fever was in full swing as it revolutionized the pocket pistol world. Reviews of their guns were all over YouTube like Nutnfancy's P3AT Review. He's controversial, but I think he's a fun guy and has his heart in the right place.

Oleg Volk released iconic photography for the little pocket pistol.


RISE of the .380 ACP

The Ruger LCP made its debut soon afterward. Sites like Brass Fetcher, Poboyspecial and PocketGunandGear were around this era as well. Tests for the viability of the .380 acp helped a lot of firearm owners to rethink this cartridge.

Today it is considered to be the minimum caliber for personal protection.

Specifications

EDC lineup circa 2013

• weight: 7.7 oz

• overall length: 5.2 inches

• height: 3.5 inches

• width: 0.77 inches

• magazine capacity: 6

• caliber: .380 acp

Rough Start

I had to return the pistol to the company that I got it from for a week right after buying it. The gun had at least 1 failure to eject in every magazine for the first 200 rounds. That freaked me out. They fixed it and gave it back to me.

I started carrying it and trained with at least 100 rounds a month. That is a lot as far as pocket pistols go. 

Strong Points

This was indeed the lightest and most concealable pistol that packed a reasonable punch.

The P3AT was so light I could wear it on my BOXER SHORTS or go jogging with the help of that nifty belt clip and soft holster. It could even hide behind a big belt buckle with a little creativity!

As long as I'm awake, I could actually be armed 100% of the time.


Challenges

The pistol's sights were practically nonexistent but that wasn't a problem. I was determined to shoot it well and I was able to reach an acceptable level so it saw tons of range time.

The long trigger pull is part of the firearm's safety so it was a bit tricky for guys like me who are used to single-action triggers. Good thing the break at the end was predictable enough.

Recurring Problems

Trouble seemed to follow me in the form of infamous malfunctions such as the "P3AT Smiley". Google it or click that link to see what I had to endure. There were Failure to Feeds as you'll see in the video below and the FTEs had returned about two years later.

An old friend Huey's Gunsight also FTE issues but I'm really glad he was able to solve it.

not again

I also had light primer strikes, but they only happened on the reloads and magtech ammunition. 

The slide stop takedown pin also broke at least 3 times. I don't live in the USA so I had to wait a few months for me to travel to Oregon and order parts from Florida.

To their credit, Kel-Tek's customer service phone number people are VERY helpful. They even answer their email. I got a few replacement pins for free and I could hear their smile from the other side of the line. Thank you.

A few years after I mothballed the pistol it would finally light strike every single time. I believe the hammer spring had finally worn itself out. Sadly that would mean I would have to order parts from the plant again. 

The Good Times

When it was good, it ran well. Perhaps I was expecting too much out of this little gun. I was running it IPSC style fast and hard. I could ring steel plates at 15 meters, double tapping paper at point blank or in-between no-shoots. I was John-Wicking the thing because I needed to.

I made this video to remind me that there are many P3AT owners who have had nothing but good luck with their purchase. Perhaps they're the majority and I was just unlucky.


Hindsight is 20/20

I don't regret this whole experience even if I still feel a little bad about it because I wanted to make it work. And for a time it did.

This gun would have served me better if I had spare parts that could be delivered to me quickly. They're all minor parts. A few springs and pins, who cares? Well, I live in the Philippines. Oops.

For those who have proper support and who are among the majority of these pistols that work FLAWLESSLY, then you have an ideal backup pistol. There's loads of positive video reviews out there to prove it.

It was a tough relationship, but we made it WORK

All of this has taught me to put reliability out of the box at the very top of my requirements for any gun. Even if its a little heavier, I'll find a way. As long as I can trust it 100%, then its worth the minor inconvenience.

I still haunt the KTOG forums (Kel-Tec Owner's Group) and see that most of the guys there are happy with their purchase, especially with the later production models. 

Since then I've moved on to carrying a fantastic carry gun that has never ever let me down.


Stay vigilant!

Smashing Coconut Test IV: Marlin XT-22 YR (Youth Rifle)

press "play" to watch the video

The humble .22LR, its the smallest, cheapest, and most readily available cartridge worldwide. We also put it in one of the smallest rifles you could buy. Is it up to the task?

Dear friends, I present to you the Marlin XT-22 YR. I got this for my daughter, and on her first day she was landing hits on 2 inch targets at 35 meters. She was 5 years old at the time. I bought it at PB Dionisio. 

Features:

• Caliber: .22 Long Rifle

• Capacity: 7 shot detachable magazine, compatible with Marlin's 10 round magazines

• Pro Fire Adjustable Trigger

• 12 Inch length of pull suitable for children

• 1:16 twist rate, 16 1/4 inch Micro-Groove barrel 

• Weight: 4.5 pounds 

• Adjustable open rear sights, ramp front sights, receiver ready for scope mounting 

Objectives: 

• Will a youth rifle loaded with subsonic ammo take down the UNDEAD??

• How does it perform with a suppressor?

• Compare loudness between high velocity and subsonic ammunition.

The targets: FOUR coconuts. husk removed. ripe for maximum shell strength

Introduction

Click to zoom

The effective range of .22lr is traditionally between 50 to 100  yards depending on the sighting system or riflescope being used. For this test, we are using the Leapers UTG 4-16x. This is a popular choice for airguns.

Our best groups with Armscor Super Quiet, Standard Velocity, and High Velocity ammunition were a little above 2 inches. Velocities of these averaged 840, 1010, and 1250 fps respectively.

I just used a bipod and these are pretty cheap ammo.  I'd expect to subtract a whole inch off with Eley, CCI, RWS, and other high-quality brands.

I'd love to make a comparison of those sometime.

                      

Bonus: When using our suppressor the groups were slightly tighter and the velocity went up by at least 50 fps. Cool!

Our can is made of T6 Aluminum and CNC machined. In the Philippines, accessories such as suppressors are not regulated by the government. 

that's the semi-auto Kel-Tec SU22 beside the Marlin.
Its accuracy was just below .5 inches compared to the bolt-action rifle

Noise Levels & Accuracy

The loudest and the quietest went head to head: High Velocity VS Super Quiet. The suppressor was not able to mask the supersonic crack of the hot ammo.

Humans and the undead will hear it from beyond 200 meters or more. Unacceptable. 

Bullet drop was also a major consideration between the two. At distances over 100 meters, the drop was measured at 4 inches. It increases dramatically further than that.

The best quality of Armscor Super Quiet is... its quietnes and it works as advertised.

I got a bolt-action rifle so that we could have the stealthiest firearm possible in our collection and I was not disappointed. With the suppressor it was a soft "pop" completely hearing safe. Even Remington "CB" ammo was louder.

Unfortunately it was less accurate. Hey its bulk ammo.

With this round I could make 1/2 inch groups with this at distances below 50 meters, and 2 inches at 100. This tells us from how far we could plant a bullet into a zombie's eye socket.

To put this into perspective, a match-grade bolt action rimfire rifle and good ammo can easily land same-hole shots at 50 meters and 1/2 inch  at 100 meters. That's easily twice as accurate as our rifle. 

Conclusion:

What we have is one of the best zombie hunting weapons around: virtually noiseless, deadly, and accurate firearm that could take out countless brain-eaters with mountains of cheap ammunition.

It is really satisfying when the concept of this platform proves itself in the real world.

"shhhh"

As you will see in the video montage, the photographs were from 2015. My daughter has come a long way since then and is now handling larger firearms. This is her first gun and its great to know that it can help her take down countless hordes with it all by herself. 

Stay vigilant!

The Battle Belt

click to enlarge

I prefer to call this piece of kit by its funky nickname: the Boogaloo Belt. Many moons ago I devised a makeshift one composed of stuff that collected over the years. It was relatively low on my "to-do" list but I'm very happy that I finally put this one together. 

What's it for? Its a rig that holds my secondary weapon, extra magazines, and a trauma kit.

*****

THE OLD: 

My previous system used to have a Serpa holster (cringe away), nylon-buckled condor belt, a few soft 5.11 magazine pouches, maxpedition drop pouch, and a Condor rip-away mini trauma kit. Of all the items on that old rig, that last one was actually very good.  All this stuff didn't match but they'd get the job done. I'll say it again: the Condor Rip-Away Mini is solid, you damn elitists.

I could plug holes, make holes, and keep my pants from falling.

THE NEW: 

This is as high-speed & low-drag as you could get. I really wanted to add a knife, tomahawk, and second AR15 magazine pouch to this but I stood my ground. Perhaps I'll add one last pouch behind the holster and move my Leatherman over there from my plate carrier. 

One of my goals was to reduce the weight on my hips, and I've succeeded. 

*****

click to enlarge

Components: 

HSGI Cobra Belt with velcro inner belt

2 HSGI polymer taco pistol magazine pouches

1 HSGI polymer  taco AR15 magazine

Voodoo Tactical tourniquet pouch that holds 1 CAT tourniquet and trauma shears

Blue Force Gear Trauma Kit Now Mini: standard trauma kit inside

Safariland QLS system holding a mid-ride 6004 series holster

That itty-bitty trauma kit packs a ton in a miniscule pouch that you could tug from the left or right side. Its soft and flat enough that I can sit down in a car and not have anything poking my back.

Firearm: Para-Ordnance P16.40

Capacity: 18 rounds

Caliber: .40 S&W

This is my old competition pistol from 1997. To clarify, I used it from 2008 to 2014. It has never let me down. I can run it hard for over 1000 rounds without cleaning. Its utterly reliable, accurate, and has light recoil. We put a Bar-Sto match barrel in there too. 

*****

I've run competition holsters for nearly a decade and really appreciate the sturdiness of this Safariland system. The QLS lets me unhook the holster from the Han Solo style thigh rig. That leg strap also keeps things very stable with all the running I've done.

Having a belt like this allows me bring it anywhere. Try to fit those other heavier ones in a backpack, mine can.

I can't emphasize "lightweight" enough. My main strength as a fighter is speed. I'm fleet of foot compared to a lot of guys and I'm going to make the most out of it.

My tests have proven that it is indeed sturdy and gives me no movement penalties whatsoever. Heck yeah I love this thing, lets rock!

Stay vigilant!

Zombie Headshot Training: Pistols (part 3)

So lets start the year with a bang? :-)

The living dead can only be destroyed by shooting them in the head. You must breach the cerebral cortex to take them out permanently!

Competitive shooting can help you prepare for the enemy. Its a great way to hone this critical skill. You build confidence with your firearm by playing under match conditions which can ultimately toughen your mental game.

Watch dis!

Zombie brains are hard to hit! 

The brain is smaller than half of the head and we need to aim at the upper part of their ugly face. We need to be precise. This requires us to be familiar with its shape from various angles for each precious shot.

You could do it with pistols, rifles, bows, slingshots, or whatever weapon that is powerful enough to breach the skull.

You'll also need to be fast. We will be surrounded by hundreds or even thousands of hostiles.

The great Col. Jeff Cooper's motto was Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas (DVC) meaning accuracy, power. He was the founder of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC).

Practice hard. Your loved ones are counting on you.



Zombie Headshot Practice part 2 of 3
Zombie Headshot Practice part 1 of 3
Recuve bow VS Zombies!


Stay vigilant!

24th Defense & Sporting Arms Show

How's that piggy bank of yours? This is the time when I buy ammo at a 15-20% discount and maybe a few AR15 magazines. Hope to find a good deal. I'm in the market for .22lr and 5.56, maybe some .380 too.

These guys are some of the very best shooters in the world. Oh, the DSAS also has a Facebook page too. See you there!

Stay vigilant!

Photo Editing my Wasteland Suit With Prisma

Yep, this is me. hello zombie world! - TZH

click photos to enlarge

I've spent nearly two years putting this loadout together including the various tests for this blog. Nearly half of it is photography. Just yesterday I stumbled upon PRISMA on Google Play and its now my go-to photo editor to make my drab old photos look zombie-apocalypse themed. I love it!

The various filters really capture the mood I was looking for and I'm really happy how they come out. I can't wait to see how this app will evolve. Its free but frankly I'm prepared to pay a fair fee for some premium features because this stuff is pretty slick.

All my photos now have a comic-book feel and I think its perfect for my blog. Easy Peasy: I just put my favorite photos in my mobile phone, edit them with Prisma, and presto!

I don't have professional photography or studio so this app helps make my photos look way better. I actually spend a lot of time admiring my own collection and a lot more when they're edited.

Anyway, here's a sneak preview of my Wasteland Suit (still thinking of a more appropriate name) that's designed to operate away from my base for extended periods.

I can do well fighting a horde of zombies while knee-deep in floodwater in a raging tropical storm. In the dark. That is what my kit is designed for.

Its got a suppressed Kel-Tec SU22, eight 30 round magazines, my high-capacity Para-Ordnance P16.40 with 3 extra 19 round magazines, my United Cutlery M48 Tomahawk, and a Schrade bushcraft knife. There's more ammo and survival gear in the backpack.

This ain't cosplay, all my equipment is the real deal. My gear is not not mil-spec but I'm happy to say that everything is ready and tested for SHTF.

Full details to follow sometime soon. Pinky promise.

My kit was assembled and evaluated more than a year ago. If things go bad, I can put it all on in less than 10 minutes and it comes with my tier-two bug-out-bag which is good for about 7 days tops.



Stay vigilant!

Photos from the 24th AFAD Defense & Sporting Show

 from the Department of National Defense / Government Arsenal

 We bought this gun!

 More ammo from the DND / Government Arsenal

Available to the Philippine Army 

 Kiosks to apply for carry permits

 Speed Edge

 Haven't seen you before...

Lock & Load

Stay vigilant!

Coming Soon: 24th AFAD Defense & Sporting Arms Show

See you there!

How Much Ammo Do You Need for the Zombie Apocalypse?

I'm always worried about having enough ammunition. WTSHTF, you won't be able to buy them or the components to reload. Ammunition will be a scarce but essential thing that will be crutial to survival.

Ammo is useful! You can defend yourself, you can hunt for food, you can use them for barter in a post-collapse society. Even brass would be worth trading things for, so pick them up when you can.

Keep in mind that the crisis that we are preparing for may take years to overcome.

On the flip side however, I'm not trying to scare you into hoarding tons of bullets, you need to balance this against your family's other needs. Butter or bullets? Choose wisely!

Here are some of my firearms and what goes through my head when I think about how much ammo I need for each of them:

I. .40 S&W

I go through about 1600 rounds per month for IPSC practice and competitions. That's training every Thursday and then weekend matches. My pistol eats a lot of ammo just so I could stay "hot". I also have two extra guns for my sport.

To put things into perspective, I shot 10,000 rounds in the past 6 months for competitive practice alone.

I only have 2000 left. Since I have multiple pistols, having 5,000-10,000 should be a minimum. 


II. .177

I have a break-barrel air rifle, the Gamo Whisper IGT in .177, and I want to have as much ammo for this as I could because its an ideal training rifle and great for small game hunting. This airgun can also punch through a zombie skull below 30 meters.

I have a total of 1200 rounds. I think I should have at least 5,000 so we can shoot this gun whenever we like.

III. .38 spl

My Armscor M206 holds a special place in my collection. My wife keeps this handy as her home carry. Its not her favorite, but she can fight with it. Its a tricky gun to shoot accurately using double-action, but the single action mode is ideal. Its short sight radius is tough to use so this gun needs decent range time to become proficient with.

I've got about 300 rounds of this and perhaps it would be nice to have 1000 for storage. 

IV. .380 auto

I have two pistols in this caliber. The Kel-Tec P3AT and my new SIG P238. These are two of the most popular pocket carry guns. They also serve as backup to my primary .40 high-cap. The Kel-Tec is hard to aim, the SIG however is a dream to shoot.

I got about 500 rounds of these and having 500 more would make me feel better.



V. 12 Gauge

The  Benelli M3T is my ultimate CQB weapon. If I have to protect the house or clear a building, this would be my tool. This is a bit tricky because of the wide assortment of loads. I have 00 Buck, slugs, birdshot, #4 Buck, and "bantam" loads that are small and let me load an additional round to make a 7+1 into an 8+1 capacity.

This is also the bulkiest. heaviest, and most expensive of all my ammo. Perhaps this is why I got .22lr in the first place.

I have a total of 550 rounds. Most of these comprising the full-power "combat" loads. I should aim for 2000 rounds. 

VI. 5.56 and .223

I don't have a centerfire rifle yet. However I made my commitment to get one by purchasing close to 3000 rounds. 

I will store these and attempt to build a minimum of 6000 for storage and then the rest would be used for practice and matches. When I get a second AR-15, I will then bump the reserves to 10,000 rounds.  

VII. .22LR

                                               Marlin XT-22YR & Kel-Tec SU-22, awesome zombie slaying weapons!

Say hello to my favorite caliber. Its so much fun to shoot a semi-auto suppressed rifle. Its tremendously satisfying to practice with a quiet bolt-action rifle. The whole thing about these guns is pure enjoyment. They're also the means by which I will thin the hordes of undead with. Nothing will destroy more zombies than the mighty .22lr. 

That being said, I don't think I could ever say that I would have enough of this caliber. I now have 7,000 rounds of assorted .22lr. They are primarily subsonic and "super-quiet" Armscor rounds. 

Super-quiet ammo averages 860fps, and the 40 grain head easily blasts through two coconut shells at 35 meters. 

This is the bullet for the apocalypse, home defense, hunting and good old plinking!  

I want to hit 10k rounds for this soon and hoard even more. Its also a bummer that there is no way to reload this in any practical manner. Thank goodness the factory over here churns them out with regularity and at a decent price. 

This reminds me to get me a suppressed .22lr pistol and another semi-auto rifle that would have mags compatible with my SU22.

VIII. Deficiencies?

Funny, I don't even have 9mm or .45ACP. Those two are the most commonplace ammo in the whole world aside from .22lr. Is this going to be a problem for me? Yes! It forced me to increase my reserves because I am expecting to have a hard time keeping my .380 and .40s properly fed.

IX. Conclusion

So there you have it. This is how I answer "how much ammo do I need for SHTF". All I did was ask myself what I intend to do with these firearms. 

I admit that I have too many different kinds of ammo. In a perfect world I would have just 2-3 kinds of ammo so my logistics won't be such a headache, but all of the firearms have a very good purpose.

Perhaps I need to consider reloading. As it stands my prepping budget does not yet have this in my short-range plans. Having the ability to reload would help me a whole lot. I'll give it some serious thought.

This is going to be expenseive...


Stay vigilant!

UPDATE:

As of October 2019 we got our selves two 9mm handguns! I can reload this caliber too so I'm off to a great start. Yahoooo! (January 24, 2020)