The A-Square series of cartridges was designed, in 1974, by Col. Arthur Alphin, as a result of a hunting incident with Cape buffalo using the .458 Winchester Magnum. Alphin first designed the .500 A-Square to provide maximum stopping power. In order to gain more powder capacity and more power, all original A-Square cartridges were based on the .460 Weatherby case.
The .495 A-Square was designed to push 600-grain, .510-inch bullets from cartridge that could be used in .375 Magnum-length actions. Though the .495 A-Square may not have as much energy as the .460 Weatherby, it does have the advantage of a larger diameter bullet. For a .50-caliber cartridge, recoil is reported as relatively low. It has also been reported that this cartridge does well with cast bullets.
