Why are modern .50 caliber rifles so expensive?

[Wes Janson]

Cartridge itself isn't the real limitation on accuracy-the specific rifle is. M82A1 versus competition-grade bolt-action .50 is apples and oranges.

 

[benEzra]

What makes them 10 times as expensive as your standard hunting rifle?

It's not 10 times as expensive as a standard precision rifle, though, and that is a more apropros comparison, I think. Maybe 2 or 3 times, and you can explain that by materials cost, machining cost, more expensive equipment required to mill bigger parts, and lower sales volume.

 

[22-rimfire]

BenEzra, that is the way I see it as well. All the civilian 50cal and similar rifles are made to be precision shooting machines. Material costs are higher relative to a standard 30 cal rifle, I would assume. There is also the limited production and limited demand issue.

Why does a rifle in 416 Remington cost more than one in 30-06 in the same bolt action rifle?

 

[Zak Smith]

It's not hard to find a sub-MOA .50 BMG. There are a bunch of companies building ones that are almost ready to go at 1000-yards for the 50BMG Nationals. The GA Precision / McMillan 50 I owned shot about 1/2 MOA.

You can buy 50's for as cheap as around $1000. The average cost of the entry-level rifles is maybe $2200-2500. A custom built "sporter" (such as the McMillan) sells around $5000. When you consider a comparable small-caliber rifle by a similar builder runs about $3000, this isn't out of line.

The 50 I have on order only costs about 2x my other bolt guns.

-z