Reddit reviews Hultafors Classic Hunting Axe 850G

There are no good alternatives to firearms. There's nothing else that is going to be able to kill as quickly, efficiently, and consistently with the least possible expenditure of energy. There's a reason why firearms made everything else obsolete.

So what's plan B?

Obviously hand-to-hand weapons will be your go to. My suggestion would be something like this:
Hultafors Classic Hunting Axe 850G https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002GKC0VO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_rF0sxbA253WM4
Axes and hatchets are designed to split hard things, and have the proven ability to split a skull and damage a brain. That's important. A lot of the weapons people suggest for zombies might not actually be able to kill consistently.
They are also designed to be easy to get free if they get stuck. Any weapon that can penetrate deep enough to damage the brain is going to potentially get stuck. Unlike a lot of weapons though, axes are designed with this in mind because it happens all the time when chopping wood. They offer good leverage, so one twist is usually enough to get it free.
They are also virtually indestructible, including most of the cheap ones.

This particular size of ax is probably ideal for you. It's long enough that you can use it primarily with two hands. That will be important for you because it will be your primary weapon. All other things being equal a two handed strike is going to be more accurate, easier to recover, and more energy efficient than a one handed strike. But you also need to be able to use it one handed in a pinch, because you might need your other hand to open doors, hold a flashlight, grab a wounded buddy, etc. It also needs to be usable indoors. At 20 inches, this should be about right for you. (If you had firearms I would recommend something closer to the 16-18 inch range.)

Some gloves would also be a good idea. Since you don't have firearms you can afford to sacrifice a little bit more manual dexterity in favor of protection. Just make sure you can still get to your car keys (in case you need to get away in a hurry) and that your gloves are easy to disinfect. You don't want zombie blood soaking in.

Your ranged options are incredibly limited. The only one I would even bother trying is a crossbow. Even then, it's a one shot wonder. If you miss or have more than one target you will not get a chance to reload. I know Daryl makes it look easy, but realistically you take one shot and then you transition to something else.

Even then, a crossbow bolt might not have enough kinetic energy to kill a zombie. They don't bleed, so poking a hole won't be good enough. You need to directly destroy the brain. That's not a guarantee even with a pistol, and unlike a pistol you will not get a follow up shot.

And of course crossbows are a bitch to carry. The good ones tend to be about as heavy as a rifle (around 6-7 lbs), and hey are awkwardly shaped. You can't carry much ammo either, and in practice you will not be able to retrieve too many bolts. For one thing, they're break if they hit anything hard. In the city that means they will usually break. They will also get covered in zombie brains, so you will probably not want to handle them. And of course if they do go through a skull they're going to get stuck good.

So that's an option, but not a great one. The other ranged options are even worse.


As with the rest of us, the most important thing is to have a buddy who can have your back. Lacking firearms is a big disadvantage for an individual, but as a member of the group it's not as big a deal. Different team members can balance each other out.