Will the 17 WSM survive?

Will the 17 WSM survive?

  • Yes

    Votes: 66 37.9%

  • No

    Votes: 108 62.1%
  • Total voters
    174
brybenn said:
If i needed more from a 17 than my mach 2 I'd go center fire and not worry about whether the ammo will be available
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That is my sentiment as well. My interest in the WSM hinges on manufacturers making semi-auto rifles. A small bore bolt action centerfire makes more sense than a hot bolt action rimfire for a lot of reasons.
 
It's a really neat cartridge. And it makes sense for a awesomely powered Rimfire that doesn't appeal to the guys who will just load up a 17 hornet or Remington CF. Lots of guys can't stand the thought of reloading and this is their best option for something a little different.
 
Will it survive? That's a tough call. If by "survive" you mean be around a decade or more in the shadows, I'd vote yes. If it means flourish like the .22 LR or even linger like the .22 Hornet, I'd say no. It's a niche cartridge and will (I think) always lead a very shaky existence. It certainly doesn't help that the first rifle offered for the big launch (Savage B Mag) is a real dog - nice price point (the Ruger 77/17's will be $1k+ when they hit the shelves up here) but oh my, what a sub-standard Savage product! Seeing the difficulty in finding other rimfire ammo right now, the current (and perhaps temporary?) popularity of the 17 WSM is due in part to the availability of ammo. If it's hit and miss on finding ammo, new rifle sales will be the same. If/when some better quality new rifles come out, they'll be a surge in popularity and the ammo hoarding will likely empty the shelves and halt gun sales. I guess the life of the 17 WSM will be like a slinky with rifle sales on the front and ammo availability/sales on the back constantly stretching out and then suddenly catching up/stopping progress.

The 17 Hornet is no doubt a great option in a similar niche, but chasing reloading components is not much better than finding factory ammo right now. And some (myself, for one) have time to either reload or shoot so the rimfire option is attractive. With the fairly limited options in .17 bullets and the fact that coyotes are high on my list of prey, I'd prefer the added horsepower and versatility of a .22 Hornet anyway if I had the time to reload and chase components.

So all that said I just ordered a B Mag. My reasons? I had a new rifle itch to scratch and want a handy little rifle for cruising this summer and popping some varmints. The 17 WSM is too interesting to not try, even if the B Mag is a bad gamble. I would have bought a nice .22 mag instead, but can't find any ammo at all... anywhere... so that was not an option. I don't want another rifle to reload for (re: the time thing) and there seems to be a decent supply of WSM ammo around me so that fueled my decision.

I'll do a review on the B Mag once it's in and I've done some shooting/tweaking. Then I will tell you if the 17 WSM is going to survive... in my home, anyway. LOL!:p
 
The ruger looks AWESOME. If we ever see them here in Canada, I will spring for one! jeez, it just looks so, finished compared to the Savage.Damn its ###y! I'd just hand my heavy barreled BMAG down to my son! He has a Marlin .17HM2, and I have a Savage 93R17 BSEV, we love gopher hunting with both, but the BMAG BLOWS GOPHERS UP compared to the M2/HMR. I hit one last week that was sent 16+ feet straight up and when it hit the ground it was like hamburger. YIKES! I believe the WSM will survive, especially when more ammo suppliers get on board, and better ammo is produced.

cody c said:
RUGER IS NOW MAKING A BOLT ACTION APPARENTLY:

http://www.varminter.com/forums/topic/17703-new-ruger-17wsm-announced/
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No the 17 HMR has to much of a head start and the pos bmag is not going to carry it . If cz or ruger would start production of a quality rifle it might stand a chance .
 
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Voted no, I think the 17 HMR is just too popular. Not to mention the WSM is off to a rough start. I hope I am wrong though, it is a neat cartridge and it would be nice to see it flourish.
 
I was really wondering myself if the WSM would survive or not. I was hesitant to buy one as the only offering was the B-mag. I opted for a 22WMR which is better suited for what I was looking for (close range beaver/coyote gun), but now I see that savage has a couple more variations on the B-mag and one even has a wooden stock. I also see the ammo is as easy to get as 22 Mag. I'm starting to think it will stick around for a while.
 
g-manz35 said:
I was really wondering myself if the WSM would survive or not. I was hesitant to buy one as the only offering was the B-mag. I opted for a 22WMR which is better suited for what I was looking for (close range beaver/coyote gun), but now I see that savage has a couple more variations on the B-mag and one even has a wooden stock. I also see the ammo is as easy to get as 22 Mag. I'm starting to think it will stick around for a while.
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I think it will be similar to the HMR for availibility in the future, maybe better, I think folks would rather have the WSM as it moves faster and flatter then the HMR but there is already quite a few HMR's out there. The 17 mach 2 on the other hand... That seems to be die'ing pretty quick, born to fail.

They had a box of 50 .17 WSM ammo for $14 and change at bass pro a while ago, I should have grabbed quite a few more boxes of it, still have a decent stockpile though.
 
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