I don't believe that hunting is the primary reason for buying a 50BMG.... in fact, I doubt that very many people at ALL hunt with it... it is primarily a long(read LOOOOONG) range target rifle. There are clubs of people that shoot 1000-1500 yard matches with them. It's sorta like benchrest gone mad.... I personally would love to have a Barrett semi-auto, but I can't justify the expense. I am toying with the idea of building a single shot... that's do-able. It's definitely not a "shoot everyday" kind of a thing for me, though... and definitely NOT a hunting weapon for me.