August 13th 2022
Photo courtesy Varminter.com. Some “progressive” states like California have imposed new restrictions on ammunition containing lead. This is a problem for rimfire varmint gunners. Winchester now offers lead-free 17 WSM ammunition. This ammunition uses zinc as a replacement for lead in the bullet cores. Varminter.com conducted extensive testing of Winchester’s lead-free ammunition. Varminter.com shot the ammunition using nine rifles over multiple sessions. Each rifle was shot in five-shot groups from 100 yards. The results were impressive. The average group size for a Savage B-Mag 1:9?-twist heavy-barrel Savage B-Mag was 0.5005 inches. Average group size for seven other 17-cal rifles* was 0.755 to 1.03 inches at 100 meters — quite impressive for factory rimfires. This test took a lot of time and we recommend that you read the complete report at Varminter.com. Fastest Rimfire Cartridge Ever
The 17 WSM cartridge is the fastest and flattest-shooting rimfire round available. It is faster than the.22 LR and offers better ballistics that the 17 HMR. It is extremely flat-shooting due to its lead-free version. It drops only 4.3 inches at 200 meters from a 100-yard zero. Comparing that to a.22LR, which can drop 18 inches from 100 to 200 yards (based upon 1150 fps.MV), Winchester’s Eco Friendly 17 WSM uses Zinc to Replace Lead
This Lead Free 17 WSM is a welcome development for those who live in areas that restrict lead ammo, such as California. Winchester’s 17 WSM ammunition is a Zinc-cored polymer-tipped 15 grain bullet with 0.118 G1 BC. The ammunition is rated at a speedy 3300 FPS. Winchester claims that the ammo’s zinc core and thin alloy jacket with engineered sidewall profile “explosive fragmentation.” *The “odd man out” was the ninth rifle, a Savage BMAG equipped with an original, thin-contour barrel. Average accuracy was 1.763 inches.
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