Abstract: Paper mill cores of the invention are structured to allow winding and unwinding chucks to distort the interior diameter and shape of the interior body wall of the core while resisting distortion of the core exterior to prevent center burst failure. The paper mill cores of the invention include a multi-ply zone of high strength, but relatively compliant, paperboard plies within the outer 70% (based on the total body wall thickness) of the body wall having a thickness of at least about 4 mm. An interior zone constituting at least about 25% of the total thickness of the body wall is formed from extremely high strength, extremely high density paperboard plies. The overall wall thickness of the core is preferably at least about 15 mm, and is thus preferably increased, as compared to the wall thickness of conventional high strength wide paper mill cores formed entirely of extremely high strength, extremely high density, non-compliant paperboard plies.