Need a clarification about the Gauss rifle

I see a lot of people saying the Gauss is an exceptional weapon and I do really like it, however, I am quite confused about it.

With my current stats, it deals just over 200 damage per shot, which isn't bad, but my .50 sniper rifle can deal 600+ damage without including the perks, so my question is:

Am I missing some detail about the Gauss? Does it have some multiplier or an unlabeled ability to ignore armour?

Because unless it does have hidden abilities, I don't see why it's held to a high standard compared to things like the .50 or lever action.

Thanks in advance for your time! o/