I do understand that proper tactics help. As counterpoints, though:
When I used the HyPACS at range, it took at least two shots (on very easy, mind) to take out a Guali. But, that left me with not great choices for another primary. I can nuke their sheilds with the Reaper, but not much else. I can damage them a little with the Krator, but it's slow. I can damage armor, but not much else, with the Hellion.
With regards to secondaries, they are quite effective.
However:
A *double* Angel strike can take one. The Exekiel can hold (I think) a maximum of about 22 Angels... which is eleven Guali kills. The Szerbic (sorry about the spelling) is about the same capacity wise, but carries an added danger when used at close range, on top of the Guali death blast.
At most, if you have nothing else but Angels, you can take eleven Gaulis, with the Szerbic, maybe half again as many.
The mission you escort your SOC Frigate between nodes has at least eleven Gualis in the first two waves. You don't have support ships, either.
The Stinger missle is pretty effective at 1-2 KM, it doesn't have a lock on, though, so you could fire multiple volleys at a group of Gualis and have them all hit one. And it takes at least twleve (if not more) to take out a single bomber.
If you had support, it wouldn't be as much of an issue, but, you don't.
Do you take the Krator and HyPACs and hope to deal with as many possible at range, while being relatively in-effective (primary wise, at least) up close, with the added risk of taking yourself with a bomber?
The almost opposite goes for the Reaper and Hellion. You have decent firepower up close, but risk yourself every time you enguage an enemy.
The mission whlie trying to save the Nirvana, they weren't as much of an issue unless the support ship got too far away. There, it was the speed of the enemy Frigate and Cruiser attack, combined with the difficulty of getting all of them disarmed quick enough. Then doing it again, just a short while later, when two more warp in behind you, maybe before you can re-arm.
I guess it's kind of a lot of smaller things working against you at once instead of a single huge problem.
Anyway, that was just my two cents.