The 17 Winchester Super Magnum is the fastest rimfire cartridge--ever! Introduced by Winchester in 2013, it isn't based on any previous sporting cartridge. Instead, it's based on a .27-caliber rimfire blank used for driving nails! Thicker case walls enable it to withstand higher pressures, and it pushes a 20-grain bullet at 3000 feet per second and a 25-grain bullet at 2600 fps. In terms of capability it falls almost exactly between the rimfire 17 HMR and the centerfire 17 Hornet, obviously an extremely viable 200-yard cartridge for smaller varmints. The rimfire case is not reloadable, so it offers a viable and economic mid-range alternative for varmint shooters who don't handload. Initially a joint venture between Winchester and Savage, 17 Winchester Super Magnum rifle offerings now include Ruger, Browning/Winchester, and others.
