A 20 grain bullet at 3000 feet per. second from a RIMFIRE! Winchester says it has 2.5 times the energy of the .17 hmr down range, will shoot flatter, and have less wind drift. The .17 hmr will most likely die quickly. The little .17 Mach 2 (potentially the best .17, even the best rimfire ever IMO) has been largely ignored or given little press coverage.
A more powerful rimfire for what? To kill little critters deader, or to use on bigger critters? This round will probably kill a small pest animal about as far as you can hit with it, but for bigger animals like coyotes 100 maybe 150 yards I'd guess. That's not too bad, but it's nothing like what a 22-250, .243… and many other center fires can do.
What's it good for? It's useful if you don't want to reload or pay centerfire ammunition prices. If you don't feel you need the range and power of a bigger centerfire. If it proves to be as accurate as the other .17 rimfires it will be great for small varmints and pest.
Honestly! most will be bought for the same reason the .17 hmr sold at first; it's new, it's exciting, it's the most powerful rimfire… Winchester has had a lot of very successful cartridges over the years, this could very well be another one.
BTW: The .17 Mach 2 looks the most useful of any .17 in my opinion, but it is most likely dead, or on the death bed. It is probably an even better small game and pest round than "the king", the .22 long rifle. It's flatter shooting, maybe safer, possibly more accurate, and about equal in power over all. But none of the .17s are as versatile as the old .22 long rifle. None offer any low cost, low noise, lead bullet, plinking loads. Such loads could make the .17s much more versatile and popular. Billions of rimfire rounds are used for plinking.
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