Initial reports from the war zone Thursday were that the zombies were clearly losing.
Marksmen appeared to be having their way with the undead at the 10th annual Zombies in the Heartland.
But Thursday's activities didn't represent the whole shooting match. About 90 people took part in Thursday's sponsor shoot. The main event, open to the public, runs today through Sunday morning at Heartland Public Shooting Park.
Zombies in the Heartland is a three-gun match, meaning that each competitor uses a rifle, shotgun and pistol.
People from around the country take part in the annual contest, whose chief sponsor is Hornady Manufacturing.
Many of the shooters work for companies that do business with Hornady.
"We help coordinate and bring in these folks," said match director Jeremy Millard, who works for Hornady.
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People competing Thursday "are all either industry partners" or people from local companies used by Hornady "that we've asked to join us in supporting the event," Millard said.
One local company that does business with Hornady is Chief Industries.
It's the first year that Chief has gone zombie hunting.
"This is our very first opportunity out here," said Mark Moravec, who is business development manager for Chief Construction.
"We're doing a lot of work with Hornady and they recommended it to us. So we said definitely we'd help sponsor it and support it," Moravec said.
Chief had a four-person team competing Thursday. Moravec was joined by Russ Canfield, Chris Wissing and Drew Duering.
Which of those Chief employees is the best shot?
"We have some money on that," Moravec said. "We'll see at the end."
Traveling from Pennsylvania was a three-man team from General Carbide.
"I think this is the sixth or seventh time I've been here," said Mark Klingensmith, one of the shooters. One member of the group was having his initial Zombies in the Heartland experience
General Carbide, based in Greensburg, Pa., makes production dyes that Hornady uses in its bullets, primers and cases.
Coming to the shoot is "a great time," Klingensmtih said. "With all the guys at Hornady, we do a lot of business together, but everybody's friends."
The experience began with a golf outing Wednesday. "They mix everybody up, so you get to meet people from all over the place," Klingensmith said. "Everybody becomes friends, and everybody remembers each other from year to year."
Two of the people helping out Thursday were professional shooters Ryan and Dianna Muller of Coffeyville, Kan. They were accompanied by their nephew, Taylen, and a dog named Gypsy.
The Mullers, who will compete this weekend, are old hands at Zombies in the Heartland.
"Mainly I want to support the people that are supporting the sport," Ryan Muller said.
Outdoorsmen see the Hornady name "everywhere across the nation," he said. So when Hornady puts on a match in its hometown, "I as a professional shooter feel I need to be here and I want to be here, because the stages are different than anything I will shoot anywhere else in the country."
Compared to other three-gun shoots, "the props are very intense," he said.
This year's Zombies in the Heartland has a clown theme. Competitors are confronted with clowns painted on barrels, a zombie bus and a ticket booth. In addition to zombie clowns, the shoot includes various tigers, lions and bears.
"Sometimes we only have walls. But they do a really good job of providing the entertainment," Dianna Muller explained.
"Most matches don't go to that extent of providing such great props," she said.
The people make any match, her husband said. "And the people around here are great," he said. It's "nice to see all the Hornady folks out. They're working, they're shooting and they're having a good time."
All of this weekend's registration fees are donated to Heartland Public Shooting Park.
About a dozen years ago, Hornady came out with a special line of Zombie ammunition, which was the genesis for Zombies in the Heartland.
Hornady supports the event because "we have a passion for the shooting park and the shooting sports industry," Millard said.
Zombies in the Heartland showcases "what a gem" the shooting park is, Millard said. It also draws people to the community, "brings a lot of new shooters out and gets them exposure to this type of shooting."
Dianne Muller points out that Zombies in the Heartland is open to the public.
She encourages area residents to grab their sunglasses and show up. "And we'll get you some earplugs, and you're more than welcome to watch throughout the weekend," she said.
People who don't understand "the firearms community or firearms themselves" will find out what they're about, she said.
"We welcome you," she said.
There's a lot of misinformation "about who gun owners are. And we're good people," she said. "These are the good guys."