Mossy-Back
Active member
A little background: I started hunting big game when I was 12, and my first rifle was my dad’s sporterized Model 1917 Enfield 30-06 (he bought himself a Belgian made Browning semi-auto 30-06). The 1917 is long, heavy, and now 100 years old as of Dec 2018, but it still shoots a 1” group at 100 yards.
Then I got a Remington 760 pump 30-06. I shot a few does and cow elk with those rifles. Fast forward about ten years. After leaving the Marine Corps and finishing college I was in the market for a new hunting rifle. The thought of an AR platform was appealing because of my military shooting experience, so I picked up a Palmetto State Armory .308 AR10 in 2017.
It was accurate enough, always reliable, and I liked the familiar controls and shorter length (18” barrel) for hunting the thick woods of western Oregon. I shot a cow elk in December 2017, and a Blacktail buck in November 2018.
The downsides? It was heavy and bulky. About 10.5 pounds unloaded with scope, and kinda clumsy feeling. It would make a great varmint fun on a bipod and suppressed, but I don’t do that kind of hunting.
After two seasons with it I decided I much prefer a bolt gun, so when I found a Howa Kuiu .308 on clearance I jumped on it! It has the same Cerakoted 20” barrel/receiver/bolt as the Alpine model but a slightly heavier Hogue stock (not rubberized). So far I love it, and I can’t wait to get it out into the woods.
Then I got a Remington 760 pump 30-06. I shot a few does and cow elk with those rifles. Fast forward about ten years. After leaving the Marine Corps and finishing college I was in the market for a new hunting rifle. The thought of an AR platform was appealing because of my military shooting experience, so I picked up a Palmetto State Armory .308 AR10 in 2017.
It was accurate enough, always reliable, and I liked the familiar controls and shorter length (18” barrel) for hunting the thick woods of western Oregon. I shot a cow elk in December 2017, and a Blacktail buck in November 2018.
The downsides? It was heavy and bulky. About 10.5 pounds unloaded with scope, and kinda clumsy feeling. It would make a great varmint fun on a bipod and suppressed, but I don’t do that kind of hunting.
After two seasons with it I decided I much prefer a bolt gun, so when I found a Howa Kuiu .308 on clearance I jumped on it! It has the same Cerakoted 20” barrel/receiver/bolt as the Alpine model but a slightly heavier Hogue stock (not rubberized). So far I love it, and I can’t wait to get it out into the woods.
It's a prime candidate for restoration (reblue & refinish the stock). I love mine (a Winchester made 1917 in 338 WM). 
