  QCD resummation predictions for the production of charged (W') and neutral
(Z') heavy gauge bosons decaying leptonically are presented. The results of our
resummation code at next-to-leading order and next-to-leading logarithmic
(NLO+NLL) accuracy are compared to Monte Carlo predictions obtained with PYTHIA
at leading order (LO) supplemented with parton showers (PS) and FEWZ at NLO and
next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) for the $p_T$-differential and total cross
sections in the Sequential Standard Model (SSM) and general SU(2)xSU(2)xU(1)
models. The LO+PS Monte Carlo and NNLO fixed-order predictions are shown to
agree approximately with those at NLO+NLL at small and intermediate $p_T$,
respectively, and the importance of resummation for total cross sections is
shown to increase with the gauge boson mass. The theoretical uncertainties are
estimated by variations of the renormalisation/factorisation scales and of the
parton densities, the former being significantly reduced by the resummation
procedure. New limits at NLO+NLL on W' and Z' boson masses are obtained by
reinterpreting the latest ATLAS and CMS results in general extensions of the
Standard Model.
