Z-MAX Ammo: Z-MAX Bullets Explained

Hornady Zombie Max (Z-MAX) ammunition was a special line created for killing zombies. Yes, that’s right – zombies. No longer in production, this specialty ammo was basically a fun gimmick with surprisingly good performance. Paired with a cool packaging design, Hornady Z-MAX made for a great conversation piece and was very popular among shooters – mainly because nobody knew how long it would be in production. Here are some of the features and uses of these fun zombie bullets (other than zombie control, of course). The official webpage also has a fun video and a great disclaimer that’s worth a read.

Z-MAX Features

• Polymer Tip: Just like the A-MAX and V-MAX lines from Hornady, the Z-MAX line featured a polymer tip. This helped improve the ballistic coefficient as well as guaranteed quick expansion on impact with a target. When facing zombies, accuracy is going to be important and expansion is a must-have.
• AMP Jacket: The same jacket technology as the A-MAX, this jacket feature had almost no wall thickness variation, guaranteeing similar performance with each shot. The lack of thickness variation also helped expansion on impact with a target.
• Various Caliber: The line of Hornady zombie ammo was available for pistols, rifles like the .223, and 12-gauge shotguns – so you could be prepared for the invasion, no matter what your weapon of choice happened to be.

Z-MAX Uses

Naturally, this particular ammo was intended for zombie control. Will you run into any zombies? Probably not, but some people really believe it’s a possibility – and it’s better to be safe than sorry! Most people purchased this simply because it’s unique, the box was very cool and the bullet was a decent quality.

There could be issues using it as home defense ammo because the disclaimer, while obviously meant to be silly, specifically communicated not to use it on human beings, plants, vegetables, minerals, etc. It’s possible this could be a big deal if you were to shoot an intruder, but that would be the least of your worries in a time of crisis.

Overall, even if you don’t like zombies and aren’t a fan of Hornady ammunition, it’s hard to pass up something this unique. There’s better ammo out there for almost every use possible, but nothing else has ever been marketed this way – and that certainly made it something special. If you happen to see Zombie Max ammo for sale, it’s highly recommended to grab a few boxes just to have!

Written by

Molly Carter