Shotguns are always a classic option when fighting zombies.

I'm no gun expert, but I would go with:
pistol - for close up head shots only
shotgun - Same
rifle - longer distance, but still needs to be a headshot or maybe a knee cap, so you better be a good shot.

And of course all three would be good for dealing with humans that have come to rape and pillage.

But honestly, what I would really want is a backhoe for creating a massive trench around my compound as well as some various defensive trenches further out. If a horde comes by, lead them into the trench where they can't get out. Then burn them or toss a stick of dynamite or something.

Brains... Brains...

I prefer assault riffles, when going up against a horde, the shotgun is too inaccurate at long distances and takes too long to reload.

We also have to talk about sustainability. I know most people talk about the biggest problem with guns is that you will run out of bullets, but that effects all weapons, swords can only cut through a handful of zombies before becoming blunt, and trust me from experience that if your chainsaw runs out of gas, you'd have a better chance of throwing it away then expecting to refill it. As running with a chainsaw is not easy and refilling is rather time consuming.

Some people have in the past suggested the crossbow and the bow and arrow, as its easier to collect used arrows, then used bullets, but again accuracy and fire rate become an issue.

This is why I would go with an semi-auto AR such as the M16.

That said, shotguns have an advantage in spread, if someone doesn't know how to use a gun, then a sawed-off shotgun is the best choice, so I guess it does come down to experience.

Alderian has a good strategy for the late game, but that would depend on what kind of zombie your facing, in some movies zombies can only come out at night, in others they are both day and night creatures.

Assuming its both day and night, then your going to have a tough time digging that trench since you will be attacked 24/7.

But this said, this is when its a good idea to live near an armoury, virtually endless supply of guns when the time comes.

I turn the board towards this map and I highly recommend that you study the area near where you live, it is useful to know where you can get those needed ammo and food supplies when the time comes:
http://www.mapofthedead.com/map/

Lots of gasoline and matches... And depending on if they are the fast movers or slow movers (are they Umbrella Corporation/I am Legend zombies, or Shaun of the Dead/Night of the Living Dead zombies), a fast four wheel drive fully enclosed Jeep/SUV with chain saws and other bladed weapons mounted to the fenders and skid plates underneath plus a huge tank for gas and another for fresh water in back. Make certain the windows are well covered with bars/grates made of verys solid metal and wleded to the doors or frame from the inside so they can't be pulled off. For slow movers, a bus or RV would also work as it could outrun them and plow through any blocking the road. Just make certain exterior grips (like roof access ladders on the back) are removed so they can't get a hold of anything.

I'm thinking the RV/tank from Stripes would be perfect.

In terms of tanks, call me old school, but I think the Tiger II would be the best tank for the job. It has the largest storage capacity out of any tank, which when tanking on zombies is farm more important then the how powerful the guns are (Leopard II would be the best choice for a high powered tank) or how thick the hulls are (M1 Abraham has the strongest hull).

I don't really care about how thick the hull is of a tiger vs m1, because either way the zombies aint breaking through.

With the Tiger you could realistically sleep and store supplies during the night, and gather more supplies during the day.

Travel from gas station to gas station where you could refill both the gas (assuming tanks and cars use the same fuel) and food supplies, while hitting up the occasional gun store for ammo. Problem with this is zombie free riders, Tiger II is a very slow tank and they could climb aboard and prevent strike anyone who attempts to open the hatch.

Which means it might not be a good idea after all, thoughts?

Now is there any recommendations for those living in countries with heavily restricted gun controls?

In Canada you can own hand guns, shotguns and some rifles, but its very limited compare to that of the US.

Would it be better to drive to Buffalo and raid a gun store there, or do you think in the 2 hours it would take me to get there all the good guns and ammo would be gone?

I'm concerned about how high-tech many of these responses are. How long could we expect a zombie apocalypse to last? Is relying long-term on petroleum-driven vehichles a good idea? What about the problem of running out of assault rifle ammo? Shouldn't we be discussing how to make black powder, blunderbuss maintenance, and so on? Bows and arrows are great if you're a skilled archer, but arrows are terribly time-consuming to manufacture...probably one of the reasons early gunpowder weapons won out.

Your thoughts?

Also to those living in the United States, contact your congressman and make sure he opposes the assault weapons ban that is trying to be put through. For those of us hoping to use assault weapons in the coming Apocalypse, the last thing we want to run out of ammo because none of the local gun stores have any for our weapons.

@FlemGem: exactly, as I explained earlier, the gun really is the only choice, but people have to be conservative with ammo, only shoot if you absolutely have too.

The problem with the tank is the range. Gas pumps require power to pump the fuel. How you gonna get it at just any old gas station when the pumps don't run? You need to be able to get from gravity feed fuel tank to gravity fed fuel tank on a tank of petrol. The tanks may not have that range. But perhaps an APV (no big guns, just bristling with automatic machine guns and weapons ports) would work. A well armed Humvee would be immune to the zombies persitent assault on its armor while being able to crush anything in its path. Or an old German halftrack would work and keeping it in the yard would be easy to say "collectibe" while preparing before the attack.

And those in gon controlled countries are screwed. That's what you get for letting your government take away your weapons.

@ Alderian - good choice with the backhoe. An excavator would be a more powerful trencher, but the loader on the front of the backhoe gives you much more versatility for, say, building earthen berms or pushing large numbers of corpses into piles where they can be incinerated.

There's a disused, decommissioned Civil War-era fort on an island about a 15 minute kayak trip from my house. Granite walls about 30 feet high, with the steel doors and shutters still in place. The parade ground still has its two brick cisterns for catching rainwater. Good luck trying to eat my brain, suckers. http://fortwiki.com/Fort_Gorges

And as to weapons, have none of you read Max Brook's Zombie Survival Guide? Rule 1: Blades don't need reloading.

Fasces - "Problem with this is zombie free riders, Tiger II is a very slow tank and they could climb aboard and prevent strike anyone who attempts to open the hatch. "

Drive through a wall or two to knock them off.

In any case I rule out tanks and other grandiose things due to the fuel issue. Cars are okay because you can just switch from one car to another or ciphon the gas from one to another.

And yeah, use guns sparingly. Blades and pointy devices should do most of your work assuming you have the right defenses. The Walking Dead drives me crazy when I see them wasting ammo which they do ALL of the time.

@hecks, problem with that fort will be the number of people who all think the same thing and head there. Some of those people won't feel like sharing with you.

@Draug: your right, I forgot about power for fuel.
@Hecks and Alderian: Blades get blunt, cutting throw a dozen skulls and the blade becomes useless. So unless you want to sharpen blades every night, guns will be more reliable in the long term.

I'm surprised Hecks is the first to get it: Blades don't bleed reloading. Unless you have access to plenty of ammo, Hecks and I will be beheading you shortly after your last round is spent and you and overrun. Of course - this is no good for fast movers. that being said, a gun is of little use against fast movers in a mob, so, not much difference.

Problem with fire...fire takes a long time to destroy the brain. Worse than getting eaten by a zombie: getting eating by a zombie on fire.

World War Z is coming out (which will be a **horibble** adaptation of the book by the preview...) -- and in the movie (not in the book) it appears that not only do they have fast moves, but they can scale walls - just climb on top of each other untl they finally pile up enough to breach the wall (like ants). In a way, this is perhaps the most intuitive zombie move in a generation - and actually makes sense.

But, apart from World War Z zombies, I'm thinking that altitude is key: zombies don't clib well. I'm not looking to travel, so vehicle isn't a huge issue (big SUV, though..Hummer type) and head for a High rise. Hopefully you can make peace with the inhabitants already there...but easily defensible (stair well - narrow fighting channel, height advantage) and hopefully lots and lots of supplies. Give you time to let things settle down and then start expanding out from there and re-establish a larger territory...but even if you can't, your can rip out some non-support exterior walls and do some vertical farming. the only problem you'll have in that case is water.

I'm surprised people keep ignoring what I am saying, blades get blunt and become useless eventually.

How about a Crowbar? You really only near to hit the brain to kill the zombie and the crowbar is a blunt weapon. The problem with melee weapons seems to be that one may ge tired very quickly from all the swinging, stabbing, hacking and slashing.

Rule 1: Cardio - The fatties will be the first to die
Rule 2: Double Tap - Don't assume it's dead
Rule 3: Beware of Bathrooms - Don't get caught with your pants down

@Halt: strength is a factor then, it wont necessarily kill them unless your strong enough.

@LSB: Zombieland was a good movie

Yes. My roommate and his girl had to watch it last night in order to wash out the bad taste they said was Warm Bodies. I'll never pass up and excuse to watch it

"I'm surprised people keep ignoring what I am saying, blades get blunt and become useless eventually."

Seriously, ever hear of a whetstone? Besides, even a dull broadsword will knock your brains out.
It does bring up the issue of upper body strength and stamina though. My cardio is pretty good right now - logging 40 miles a week of jogging - but there's no way I could swing a sword, ax, or hammer effectively for very long. Is weight lifting going to help much, or do I just need to buckle down and work on my fencing? Or both?

upper body strength will mater more then fencing ability when your fighting zombies

^ Agreed

Take up heavy fighting in the SCA and that'll keep your upper body strength up, as well as get you used to hacking and slashing.

@Fasces, sorry, been away from the website for the evening. What you say makes no sense. Blades can be sharpened. Running out of bullets is harder to deal with. Saying that guns are better long term seems extremely counter-intuitive to me.

As for zombie skulls, aren't they supposed to be a bit soft due to the whole decomposing thing? I guess it depends on whose image of zombies is right.