Winchester Will Unveil Game-Changing Rimfire Cartridge

Rod1960 · #1 12-12-2012, 11:14 PM

Quote:

If you think the 300 Win. Mag. is a significant improvement over the .30-06, wait until you shoot the new ground-breaking rimfire cartridge from Winchester. I'm not allowed to disclose its name or caliber yet, but it's scheduled to storm the market in 2013, beginning as soon as early or mid-March. Its performance exceeds current cartridges in its class by a wider margin than the 300 Win. Mag. over the .30-06.

I don't say this based merely on rumor or manufacturer hype. I've shot the new round. It does everything Winchester says it will. The bullets fly from the muzzle 500 fps faster than any other rimfire cartridge I'm aware of. At 250 yards, they retain nearly double the energy of the next-best round in their class. During my testing off sand bags from a portable bench, five bullets clustered just over 1 inch at 100 yards in light but variable winds. A single four-shot group went into a .39-inch spread, and one 300-yard four-shot group fell inside of 2.5 inches. All this was accomplished with a prototype bolt-action rifle so unrefined that cartridges had to be hand fed and extracted from the chamber with a knife blade.

Ballistic coefficient and velocity of the bullets are so high that this new round should hold a Maximum Point Blank Range of 250 yards on an 8-inch target. This means you aim at the center of the 8-inch target and hit it at any and all distances out to 250 yards. Last but not least, the new rounds should cost within 10 percent of currently available rimfire rounds in their class, or about a third less than some centerfire rounds with similar ballistic performance.

Because dimensions of the round are significantly different from any others currently made, at least one gun maker is reportedly building newly designed bolt-action rifles to fire it. Two more are reportedly working on additional models. Whether those are bolt actions, break actions, levers, semiautos or something else remains to be revealed.

“New” cartridges are a tried and sometimes true method for ramping up sales in the shooting industry, but most of them provide only incremental improvements over existing rounds. This new cartridge from Winchester is more than that. Much more. It should be a game changer.

http://www.huntingclub.com/blogs/art...e#.UMlxPKzhfro

Now what do I have to buy!?!

CaberTosser · #2 12-13-2012, 12:58 AM

I'm curious if it's yet another .22, or if they really decided to get creative and went with something bigger like a .243 or a .25. It would be a curious thing to hunt smaller big game with a rimfire.

As those are both unlikely winners in terms of sales popularity, I'm guessing it will be a rimfire .22 with performance on par with a .22 hornet. A higher velocity .17 seems less likely to me.

Jeron Kahyar · #3 12-13-2012, 01:10 AM

.

Jeron Kahyar · #4 12-13-2012, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

A higher velocity .17 seems less likely to me.

I'm going to go with it is going to be a .222 Rem necked down to .17 cal. Then somehow made to be a rimfire?

Or better yet maybe the 5mm Rem. Rimfire torchered into a .17cal?

32-40win · #5 12-13-2012, 01:20 AM

Maybe they thought of a way to resurrect one of the old early rimfires, and neck it down. Or, something with flechettes.

winger7mm · #6 12-13-2012, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

I'm curious if it's yet another .22, or if they really decided to get creative and went with something bigger like a .243 or a .25. It would be a curious thing to hunt smaller big game with a rimfire.

As those are both unlikely winners in terms of sales popularity, I'm guessing it will be a rimfire .22 with performance on par with a .22 hornet. A higher velocity .17 seems less likely to me.

I received an email, about this. All I can tell you is it IS a .22 cal

Still waiting on finding out what new varmin rifle I NEED to buy is lmao

sikwhiskey · #7 12-13-2012, 01:42 AM

My guess, the 22lr wsm. That doesn't quite work though, How about 22wsm?
Shorter stroke, lighter rifle, wayyyyyy more efficient?
I need one already lol.

2fast4uRuss · #8 12-13-2012, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sikwhiskey

My guess, the 22lr wsm. That doesn't quite work though, How about 22wsm?
Shorter stroke, lighter rifle, wayyyyyy more efficient?
I need one already lol.

I agree hauling around my long action 22lr really wears on me over a day of chasing gophers.

eric2381 · #9 12-13-2012, 05:08 AM

Would be nice if it was 20 cal.

eric2381 · #10 12-13-2012, 05:18 AM

Supposed to be an unveiling at Winchester.com on Jan 1 is what I read when I googled it.

pickrel pat · #11 12-13-2012, 05:34 AM

Wouldnt it be great if it was a .17 hmr necked up to a .22? I would buy one!

eric2381 · #12 12-13-2012, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickrel pat

Wouldnt it be great if it was a .17 hmr necked up to a .22? I would buy one!

That would be real cool. I wonder what they'd call it?? Maybe the 22 WMR??

pickrel pat · #13 12-13-2012, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eric2381

That would be real cool. I wonder what they'd call it?? Maybe the 22 WMR??

YES!!!! THATS PERFECT!!!!!!!!!

catnthehat · #14 12-13-2012, 06:29 AM

A guy could always simply buy a 22 Hornet and be able to reload the cases.

Cat

Au revoir, Gopher · #15 12-13-2012, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnthehat

A guy could always simply buy a 22 Hornet and be able to reload the cases.

Cat

I was wondering why the world needs another rimfire as well. I love my .22LR, but I just can't see me buying a rifle chambered for a different rimfire cartridge. I am currently debating if the next rifle I need is a 22 Hornet or a 17 Hornet.

ARG

densa44 · #16 12-13-2012, 06:52 AM

Other than being very cheap like a .22 rim fire what would be the reason to have a new one?

I don't get it, can't reload and old technology.

ACKLEY ABE · #17 12-13-2012, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnthehat

A guy could always simply buy a 22 Hornet and be able to reload the cases.

Cat

yip...or rechambre it to K Hornet.

I can hardly remember when I last shot any of my 22 rimfire's.

Sounds like another perfect answer for a question that was never asked.

catnthehat · #18 12-13-2012, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACKLEY ABE

yip...or rechambre it to K Hornet.

I can hardly remember when I last shot any of my 22 rimfire's.

Sounds like another perfect answer for a question that was never asked.

Somebody designing something to sell to someone who thinks they need it?

Cat

buckbrushoutdoors · #19 12-13-2012, 07:42 AM

My guess it would be .20 cal on a blown out case

Grizzly Adams · #20 12-13-2012, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnthehat

A guy could always simply buy a 22 Hornet and be able to reload the cases.

Cat

Biggest thing rim fire cartridges have going for them is cost. Take that away and you may as well have a center fire.

Grizz

score · #21 12-13-2012, 07:50 AM

Just great. Another gun to feed the addiction. Will it never end?

Lefty-Canuck · #22 12-13-2012, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickrel pat

Wouldnt it be great if it was a .17 hmr necked up to a .22? I would buy one!

LOL....awesome. Where is the "like" button?.

LC

ShawnM · #23 12-13-2012, 07:59 AM

Well if they sell you on a different cartridge then you absolutely need to buy a new rifle. If all they do is build "better" rifles then what's the selling point?

I am pretty curious and if I hadn't just put a two year moratorium on buying more guns it might find a way into my safe...

score · #24 12-13-2012, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShawnM

Well if they sell you on a different cartridge then you absolutely need to buy a new rifle. If all they do is build "better" rifles then what's the selling point?

I am pretty curious and if I hadn't just put a two year moratorium on buying more guns it might find a way into my safe...

You seem to have some self control when it comes to new guns. What psychologist did you go to?

Au revoir, Gopher · #25 12-13-2012, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by score

You seem to have some self control when it comes to new guns. What psychologist did you go to?

My self control was discovered, belatedly, after having to explain to my wife how I accidentally bought a rifle on the PIF thread.

I have a very understanding wife

, but there won't be any additions to the gun cabinet for a while.

ARG

gophergitter · #26 12-13-2012, 08:54 AM

Soooo.. a rimfire Hornet..... whats the upside?

gopher · #27 12-13-2012, 09:22 AM

Maybe its 14cal or smaller.

catnthehat · #28 12-13-2012, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopher

Maybe its 14cal or smaller.

I don't know Gopher, here is a quote form Winger7mm's post, however.

"I received an email, about this. All I can tell you is it IS a .22 cal"
A 14 would be interesting however, P.O. Ackley would be pleased, I'm sure!!

Cat

buckbrushoutdoors · #29 12-13-2012, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I don't know Gopher, here is a quote form Winger7mm's post, however.

"I received an email, about this. All I can tell you is it IS a .22 cal"
A 14 would be interesting however, P.O. Ackley would be pleased, I'm sure!!

Cat

I wouldn't believe what winger says. He's a known lier. Apparantly he's killed 70+ bucks over 180"....

catnthehat · #30 12-13-2012, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buckbrushoutdoors

I wouldn't believe what winger says. He's a known lier. Apparantly he's killed 70+ bucks over 180"....

That's some pretty big deer with a very high body count!

Cat