I was at the Buffalo Gun Center a few weeks ago and noticed they had 25-30 boxes of .17 WSM ammo on the shelf. I asked if they had a rifle (Savage) I could have a look at. The guy behind the counter said that as soon as they get several of the Savage B-Mag's in, they are sold in a day or two! He said that he wished he could get more in as there is a strong demand for them.
The ballistics of the new round are impressive when compared to the .17 HMR.
However, as mentioned above, if one reloads, the cost of my .223 reloads are much less than the .17 WSM and the .17 HMR, plus the performance, range, etc. of the .223 are much better.
But my Savage 12 LRPV is a bit on the heavy side to carry in the bush, I'm thinking the Savage B-Mag may be alot easier to carry, so it may have an edge there.
I am going to get a chance to shoot a Savage B-Mag in a few weeks. Who knows, I may just add a .17 WSM to the safe to keep my .17 HMR company!
I'm kind of hoping Savage come out with an upgrade option or two for the B-Mag, an upgraded stock option would be nice.