 This was Col. Alphin's first commercial sporting cartridge and was designed in “response to some severe problems experienced with the .458 Winchester on safari in Mozambique.”

The .500 A-Square was a proprietary cartridge and the world's most powerful commercially available “sporting” cartridge.However, the .50 BMG is the world's most powerful commercial cartridge for any shooting purpose.The .500 A-Square is used specifically as an African, thick skin, dangerous game, rifle cartridge for the hunting of elephants and Cape buffalo as well as a back up gun for professional hunters and guides.