I'm just quoting ballpark prices. I bought a brand new Browning A-bolt .22-250 some time ago for about $600.  A good quality .50 cal might cost around 3 grand or more.  The fit and finish of the Browning surely can not be exceeded by the spartan simple design of the .50 cals, so why the $2500 premium?

The extra steel can't cost that much more can it? Larger parts are easier to machine aren't they? I want to point out that I am simply asking and honest question.  I am guessing it may be the lesser demand for the .50s, but does anyone have an answer for sure?

One of the biggest costs is machining and that big fat barrel sitting out in front of you. A barrel for a .50 can set you back as much as your A-bolt or more depending on who you buy it from.

EDM Arms (name is from their machining process) makes the M96 Windrunner .50, it costs $7,500 but at the same time it takes almost 12 hours to machine ONE receiver using EDM wire machining. That's just the receiver and not all the other parts that go with it, they also have to machine the barrel to fit the rifle with the closest tolerances possible. Why? The barrel is removable and the whole rifle breaks down to a package about 30" long.

Not all .50's are this expensive but it gives you an idea as to why, plus there are fewer .50's made and there are NO big name Mfg's making .50's. I would imagine if there was it would cost the same as they would have to tool up to make them.

The easiest answer is that more A-Bolts are sold... I am sure many of the parts are usable for multiple Hunting calibers. That cuts down on the cost.

Not many .50 cals are sold, partly because of the ammo cost, the weight of the weapon, etc.

Hundreds of thousands of standard Bolt action hunting rifles are probably sold every year. How many people buy .50 cals?