.17 WSM Power Core – A New Lighting Fast Round
Although most people think of the winter months as the best time to go after coyotes, spring is a crucial time to do a little predator hunting as well. With the growing numbers of coyotes in most areas across the US, it’s not uncommon to see coyotes carrying new born fawns in the spring. I’ve had numerous Cuddeback’s with this very pic on it. I understand it’s part of nature, but I’m a firm believer in getting out there and doing my part to control those coyote populations.
Coyotes are animals that have adapted to life with close human contact. They are getting less and less afraid, more daring on what they’ll take down, and unfortunately their numbers continue to rise. In the Midwest I’ve seen coyotes get together in packs of 5-6 and take down full grown deer. They are effective killers, and unfortunately can take a toll on the deer population very quickly if not managed.
As a kid we had a coyote almost get our new little puppy right from our front step, and I constantly worry about the coyotes trying to grab Pork Chop from my own yard now. One way to quickly cut numbers down is by doing springtime hunts. This is a time when calling can be extremely effective. It’s also the time of year when fawns are at their most vulnerable stage and we can help them by taking out a few coyotes – well, think of it as saving a couple fawns. Lots of people do a wide range of things for deer management, think of this as just another piece to the puzzle to helping your own deer herd.
I’ve been hunting coyotes primarily with my dad since I was a young girl and we’ve used a wide variety of calibers over the years. I’ve shot them with .22-250’s, .243, and .17 WSM. One of my favorites has to be the .17 WSM for a wide variety of reasons. First and foremost, there is the price. This is an affordable round with minimal pelt damage. It is the fastest rimfire in the world and truly performs a lot like a center fire cartridge; however at a fraction of the cost. The .17 WSM is an amazing advancement, but unfortunately there are states like California that have placed lead bans making the hunters there unsure of their options. Luckily there are companies such as Winchester who are constantly innovating and they have created a solution.
Winchester recently launched the new Power-Core which is a solid-copper .17 Winchester Super Mag for those hunters in lead free areas. This 20-grain solid-copper hollow-point travels at 2,875 feet per second and is extremely accurate. In fact, most hunters would think that using rimfire ammunition would mean only close range shots, however this is far from it. With the .17 WSM you can expect devastating performance at ranges well past 200-yards. That’s almost mind blowing coming from a rimfire cartridge!
Thankfully Winchester has found ways to help us do what we love, and do it more efficiently. The entry of the. 17 Winchester Super Magnum was on of the most innovative rimfire introductions in recent history and now even more people can utilize this with the introduction of the lead free ammunition. With Winchester celebrating their 150th anniversary this year, it’s innovations like this that truly show their dedication to the sport and to hunters. Technology like this doesn’t just happen overnight, scores of engineers are hard at work on a daily basis to constantly push the envelope and ensure hunters are given new and innovative options.