January 19th, 2013

17 Win Super Mag Rimfire from Winchester — Field Report

17 Winchester Super Magnum Win Super Mag Rimfire

At Media Day we test-fired the new 3000 FPS rimfire ammunition from Winchester. Shooting the new 17 Win Super Mag ammo from a pre-production Savage B.MAG rifle (more on that later) and a Browning m1885 falling block, we were able to shoot sub-minute-of-angle groups with a pretty primitive front rest and lumpy rear bag. So far, then, it appears the ammo is pretty darn accurate for a mass-produced rimfire cartridge. Savage has promised to send us a B.MAG rifle for further testing. Watch the video below for more details on this new cartridge.

.17 Winchester Super Magnum RimfireNew 3000 FPS Rimfire Round
Winchester has announced a new, high-velocity 17-caliber rimfire cartridge, the .17 Winchester Super Magnum (aka .17 Win Super Mag). The .17 Win Super Mag will initially be offered in three bullet types: 20gr plastic tip (Varmint HV), 25gr plastic tip (Varmint HE), and a 20gr JHP (Super-X). The 20-grain varieties boast a 3000 FPS muzzle velocity, earning honors as the fastest Rimfire ammo ever made.

.17 Winchester Super Mag Specifications
Symbol Sub Brand Bullet Weight Muzzle Velocity
S17W20 Varmint HV 20-gr Plastic Tip 3,000 fps
S17W25 Varmint HE 25-gr Plastic Tip 2,600 fps
X17W20 Super-X 20-gr JHP 3,000 fps

Winchester claims that all .17 Win Super Mag ammo types shoot much flatter than the .22 Win Mag and .17 HMR, while delivering more than 150 percent more energy than both. In addition, the .17 Win Super Mag “bucks the wind” better than any other rimfire ammo — exhibiting significant less horizontal drift at extended ranges. The ammunition should be available at Winchester dealers by April 2013.

17 Winchester Super Magnum Win Super Mag Rimfire

.17 Winchester Super Magnum Rimfire

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