Fear & Loading: Zombies Coming Back to the Heartland

by
posted on February 22, 2019
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
zombies_lead.jpg

This year’s Hornady Zombies in the Heartland 3-Gun Match will take place May 31 to June 2 at the Heartland Public Shooting Park located in Grand Island, Neb. The event, now in its eighth year, will feature more zombies—a change requested by shooters—and stages to challenge all competitors, from expert to beginning.

A Pistol Caliber Carbine Division (PCC) is being offered this year, which features AR-15-style firearms chambered for pistol cartridges—9 mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. The class of firearms has grown in popularity in competition and Hornady is offering enthusiasts a chance to hone their zombie-hunting prowess in a new, two-gun division, where enthusiasts can utilize their PCC in place of handgun and rifle.

Registration is already open on the official website. A sponsor reception will take place before the match, May 30, at Riverside Golf Club.

With an unusual course-of-fire, Zombies in the Heartland attracts shooters from across the country and includes some traveling from outside the United States. Annually more than 400 shooters attend, with available slots sold out early each year.

The match will feature 10 competitive stages and five side-match states. Shooters will find new and reactive targets developed specifically for the event, with most targets breaking, falling over or moving. Participants will be required to compete with a pistol, rifle and shotgun. 

Heartland Public Shooting Park, operated by the Grand Island Parks and Recreation Department, is the largest and most comprehensive public shooting facility in America’s Midwest. It hosts a variety of regional and national events each year.

For updates follow the Zombies in the Heartland Facebook page. Sponsorship questions should be directed to Emily Mierau by e-mailing [email protected].

Hotel rooms can be reserved at the Boarders Inn and Suites (3333 Ramada Road, Grand Island, NE). Mention Zombies in the Heartland for reduced rates.

Latest

Beretta APX Ported 01
Beretta APX Ported 01

New For 2026: Beretta APX A1 Ported

Beretta first entered the polymer-frame, striker-fired pistol market in 2017 with its APX, and nearly 10 years later, the company has added the APX A1 Ported to the lineup.

CDC Restores Basic Armed Citizen Data

As of Aug. 24, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s webpage is again providing defensive-gun-use data.

Rifleman Review: Taurus GX4 Strike Bravo

Since Taurus USA joined the micro-compact market with its GX4 in 2021, the company has expanded the line to include a number of different options, and the latest, the GX4 Strike Bravo, incorporates a unique chassis design.

Old (Un)reliable: Finding a Magazine that Works for Your 1911

There have been more than 100 manufacturers of 1911-style pistols and magazines, some more faithful to the original drawings than others.

3 New Shotgun Suppressors for 2026

Just because you're in the field hunting for upland game or busting clays at your local range doesn't mean you can't protect your hearing.

First Breach Begins Trading on NASDAQ Under "FBDT" Ticker Symbol

In August 2026, First Breach Defense Technologies, a producer of ammunition and unmanned aerial systems based in Hagerstown, Md., announced that its common stock had begun trading on the NASDAQ capital market under the ticker symbol "FBDT."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.