Headshot, Boom!! Headshot, Boom!!!

[sgrosse]

Has anyone noticed how incredibly accurate people are in these Zombie movies? Other than Dawn, when the dead rise, everyone seems to turn into Marksmen. I say other than Dawn because Romero actually addressed this issue(brilliantly i might add). To me, other than the Idea of Zombies rising from the grave, the idea that someone can turn into a killing machine with little to no firearm training is absurd and for some reason, really puts me off the movie. Ive gone on record here saying that I loved the Dawn remake. But one of the issues I had with the movie was not how fast the Zombies ran, but how awsome everyone was at shooting. I dont know, maybe I missed some critical part of these movies where everyone stops running and enjoys a day at the fireing range.

[fartpants]

if you knew a headshot was the only thing stopping you from being eaten i reckon you would get to be a good shot pretty damn quick...

[darth los]

Has anyone noticed how incredibly accurate people are in these Zombie movies? Other than Dawn, when the dead rise, everyone seems to turn into Marksmen. I say other than Dawn because Romero actually addressed this issue(brilliantly i might add). To me, other than the Idea of Zombies rising from the grave, the idea that someone can turn into a killing machine with little to no firearm training is absurd and for some reason, really puts me off the movie. Ive gone on record here saying that I loved the Dawn remake. But one of the issues I had with the movie was not how fast the Zombies ran, but how awsome everyone was at shooting. I dont know, maybe I missed some critical part of these movies where everyone stops running and enjoys a day at the fireing range. A good example of that is house of the dead. First the chicks are party ho's, then they inexplicably turn into unstoppable killing machines. It really is laughable. Not that there's anything wrong with party ho's.

[MinionZombie]

It's not going to be impossible, but then again, it's not going to be piss easy. I just thought of the "high noon" character in Land, she blasts off about 20 rounds before nailing the zombie in the head...and before anyone bitches, clearly she was a new recruit/not a proper soldier...she may have been wearing camo, but think about it - zombie plague, the first line of defense is the soldiers, who'd sustain heavy casualties, therefore you'd be taking on anyone with minimal training (or at least, not proper military training) to stock up on defenses...so, you're not going to have a crack shot...and some people are just sh*t shots as well.

[DVW5150]

It's not going to be impossible, but then again, it's not going to be piss easy. I just thought of the "high noon" character in Land, she blasts off about 20 rounds before nailing the zombie in the head...and before anyone bitches, clearly she was a new recruit/not a proper soldier...she may have been wearing camo, but think about it - zombie plague, the first line of defense is the soldiers, who'd sustain heavy casualties, therefore you'd be taking on anyone with minimal training (or at least, not proper military training) to stock up on defenses...so, you're not going to have a crack shot...and some people are just sh*t shots as well. I do believe the woman you refer to is GARs daughter.The one who nails the zed walking into the electric fence. Its true that some can adapt to head-shots, but acquiring your target is a whole other story.

[sgrosse]

I did say that Romero did a great Job covering this issue. I did say only in Dawn though, so you got me there. I admit Romero got it right in pretty much all of his films. To the distinguished poster that brought up that if it was the only way you could keep from being eaten you would learn quickly(paraphrasing of course) I would say, that is the exact reason you wouldnt be able to pull off a head shot. Could you imagine the fear of this? The terror and adrinaline pumping through you. Im not talking about ten years after an outbreak where people have made a habit out of survival, Im talking about now. The human head is not a big target. The brain is encased in a thick bone. On top of that, it is not a stationary target. It might be slow moving, but it is swaying. If you take all of those factors, unimaginable terror against an impossible adversary, zero to minimal firearms training, and a nonstationary target, the odds of getting off a headshot are severly against you. Have to run good talking to yall

[Philly_SWAT]

I have to wonder, sgrosse, have you ever fired a weapon? I would guess no, but I could be wrong. Firing a weapon is not an overly complicated thing to do. It is true that some people are a lot more of a ..."natural good shot" than others, but with minimal training, anyone could become fairly proficent. Especially if your life depended on it.

[acealive1]

if you knew a headshot was the only thing stopping you from being eaten i reckon you would get to be a good shot pretty damn quick... AMEN TO THAT!!!

[sgrosse]

I guess I should have mentioned this, I was a gunnermate in the Navy. So you would assume wrong on that. But you had no way of knowing so that my fault. I have fired a weapon. For a good chunk of time, that was one of the things that I did on a day to day basis. I qualed(never could spell that right) on small arms. So I am familiar with firearms enough to say while firing is indeed easy, it is far from the point and click method of most of the Zombie movies.

[Philly_SWAT]

I guess I should have mentioned this, I was a gunnermate in the Navy. So you would assume wrong on that. But you had no way of knowing so that my fault. I have fired a weapon. For a good chunk of time, that was one of the things that I did on a day to day basis. I qualed(never could spell that right) on small arms. So I am familiar with firearms enough to say while firing is indeed easy, it is far from the point and click method of most of the Zombie movies. Well, anchors away then! While it is true that firing accurately is not a simple point and click method, I have seen many first time shooters being shown how to shoot at small targets, and while they do miss frequently, they dont miss by a mile, they miss be a little bit, after only a couple of minutes of trying. A zombie head is a lot bigger than little shotgun shells (or whatever other little items are generally set up as targets) and a slight miss off center would still result in a head shot. A newbie to firing a weapon usually doesnt miss the watermellon target very often.

[jim102016]

Well, anchors away then! While it is true that firing accurately is not a simple point and click method, I have seen many first time shooters being shown how to shoot at small targets, and while they do miss frequently, they dont miss by a mile, they miss be a little bit, after only a couple of minutes of trying. A zombie head is a lot bigger than little shotgun shells (or whatever other little items are generally set up as targets) and a slight miss off center would still result in a head shot. A newbie to firing a weapon usually doesnt miss the watermellon target very often. I too spent a lot of time on Uncle's Sam's firing ranges shooting at paper, pop-up, and fixed targets...I'm certain it would be a hell of a lot more difficult to hit just above a rapidly advancing pair of teeth that were out to eat you. Philly, unless a particular zombie has broken his legs (even then he may drag his ass down the street to get you) you're talking about hitting a moving target in the head which will be different than hitting a watermelon on a fence. Shuffling zombies would be tough...but what if they were running like we saw in that disgrace of a remake in 2004! Then even the most experienced shots in the world would be in deep sh*t!

[Philly_SWAT]

Well, a running zombie wouldnt be any more difficult to hit than a running human, and ever since the invention of the firearm, we as the human race have seemed to become very adept at shooting other people to death (admittedly, not with just headshots). I disagree that a shambling zombie would be that hard to shoot. They would make no moves whatsoever to avoid your shots, just keep coming at you (so would runners, for that matter.) The relative position of their head wouldnt move much. Again, human being adapt very quickly to complex tasks. What do you think is more difficult, driving a car, or hitting a target at close range? To successfully drive you a car, you must just distances while you are moving, taking note of other drivers as you go along. You must pay attention to traffic signs and signals. You need to check your mirrors and use your signals. It is safer to use both hands, although I generally use only one, and if you have a standard transmission, you must use both feet to use the clutch, brakes and gas petals. To shoot a target, all you have to do is hold the gun steady, aim, and shoot. If you miss, repeat. Most everyone can drive a car successfully, I submit that most everyone car shoot successfully enough to shoot a zombie, which would be much easier than shooting a live person, due to their unwillingness to try to avoid your shot.

[jim102016]

Well, a running zombie wouldnt be any more difficult to hit than a running human, and ever since the invention of the firearm, we as the human race have seemed to become very adept at shooting other people to death (admittedly, not with just headshots). I disagree that a shambling zombie would be that hard to shoot. They would make no moves whatsoever to avoid your shots, just keep coming at you (so would runners, for that matter.) The relative position of their head wouldnt move much. Again, human being adapt very quickly to complex tasks. What do you think is more difficult, driving a car, or hitting a target at close range? To successfully drive you a car, you must just distances while you are moving, taking note of other drivers as you go along. You must pay attention to traffic signs and signals. You need to check your mirrors and use your signals. It is safer to use both hands, although I generally use only one, and if you have a standard transmission, you must use both feet to use the clutch, brakes and gas petals. To shoot a target, all you have to do is hold the gun steady, aim, and shoot. If you miss, repeat. Most everyone can drive a car successfully, I submit that most everyone car shoot successfully enough to shoot a zombie, which would be much easier than shooting a live person, due to their unwillingness to try to avoid your shot. Philly, usually your knowledge in these matters astonishes me...but to compare shooting to driving a car? Shooting is a science that takes practice. Undoubtedly some will be naturals right out of the gate...but most will need time to make a headshot with a rifle or a pistol. If one were to shoot out of a tree at paused zombies below, I think that would be easy. Sure, the human race has grown used to killing each other with firearms....its just as easy as can be. It doesn't take a headshot to kill us! We shoot each other in the back, sneak up on one another at point blank, etc. A shambling zombie may make no move to avoid a shooter, but its not going to stand still and smile for the camera either. It’s still going to bump and grind along the terrain....maybe with a limp or broken bones to alter its natural step. Runners are a different category completely. Shame I don't own some land in Florida....we could rig up a contraption to make the watermelons mobile to see the difficulty of shooting them!

[MissJacksonCA]

Well I mean the odds that average people would become marksman is directly related to the odds of the dead rising with a hunger for human flesh. I thought it was strange how many guns they had in Dawn 04 before entering the gun store. Mall cops dont carry real guns they're taser guns. But next thing you know they're heading to Andys Gun Works to raid them for ammo and guns and they have a stahload. I could be wrong i'll have to watch it again... I dont really know of a whole lotta other zombie movies besides the GAR movies where they seemed to be awful good at shooting. 28 Days later had a lot of improvised weaponry before the armed forces came in. Zombie 2 had few guns involved but a lot of burning. Shaun of the Dead did a lot of comedic improvization. From a personal stand point its not hard for me to aim and fire at a steady target but its hard for me to run while shooting something thats running at me with his spleen sticking out of the hole in his stomach

[Philly_SWAT]

Philly, usually your knowledge in these matters astonishes me...but to compare shooting to driving a car? Shooting is a science that takes practice. Undoubtedly some will be naturals right out of the gate...but most will need time to make a headshot with a rifle or a pistol. If one were to shoot out of a tree at paused zombies below, I think that would be easy. Sure, the human race has grown used to killing each other with firearms....its just as easy as can be. It doesn't take a headshot to kill us! We shoot each other in the back, sneak up on one another at point blank, etc. A shambling zombie may make no move to avoid a shooter, but its not going to stand still and smile for the camera either. It’s still going to bump and grind along the terrain....maybe with a limp or broken bones to alter its natural step. Runners are a different category completely. Shame I don't own some land in Florida....we could rig up a contraption to make the watermelons mobile to see the difficulty of shooting them! I had written a brilliant and lengthy response to this, and as I hit submit reply, my computer froze and I lost it. I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS! I will simply say now that yes, accurately firing a weapon is a science that requires practice. So is driving a car, and there are a lot more variables that you need to master to drive a car that to accurately fire a gun. And watermellon shot out of a catapault wold be more difficult to hit than a slow, shambling zombie.