There’s an aesthetic at work highly admirable.
I’m more from the school of one rifle to do everything (the challenge is to the shooter to overcome handicaps).
Ultra-reliable action plus ballistically-efficient cartridge. As continuous fire is a requirement, Col Coopers Scout falls away, as a heavy barrel is necessary, etc.
Have to be able to carry it afield is where objections from others begins. Weight of a Garand with 20-round magazine and modern optic (a la M14) hits 14-lbs fairly quickly.
But a cartridge less than 30.06 or 7.62x51 isn’t suitable for the full range of game in NA. Nor can men sustain fire with a larger round. It’s a sweet spot on the tables. (Availability — in quantity — is a prerequisite).
800-yards is at the higher end, 600 more likely, and under 400 best choice. (7.62x51 delivers same energy at 400-yards that 5.56 delivers at muzzle).
Accuracy matters. (Thus, the awe at placing rounds on target at a mile or more).
I could imagine we’d all like to have a class to train for those long-distances in order to try the Barrett. Given we’d already on our own worked the range card of 30-cal bullet drop, wind, etc, over time with our field-ready rifle as prelude to class. (We were already “good”).
When coriolis is an additional distance factor there’s no question, then, of why a bolt or semi-auto .50 is awesome.
But count me out from wishing to be competitive with a Barrett. It’s not only hearing damage which does occur, it’s also detached retinas and other more subtle damage from firing a .50 that a man-portable rifle entails.
Naw, I’d rather gradj-erate UP to the next class: firing a 25-mm Bushmaster from a Bradley. AP & HE rounds: which & when?
$15k to get in the door is relevant only to what was expended to be considered for the class in the first place? No matter the price of a weekend course, that money may have already been spent. To some degree it was the learning curve. Call it overall proficiency with small arms.
Understanding THE PLACE (the range) a .50-cal becomes suitable would be the valuable part of the lessons. (Information + Experience = Knowledge). In same manner, at 50-yards and given THIS small arm you already knew: how to solve the problem.
Practicality (not brag rights) is the thing, IMO. That maybe you did it with a .50 should be saved for last in a story designed to elicit laughter.
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