Good Morning, Horsenhike,
I think hunters read too many gun magazines where they get the notion that a .300 WM recoils like a .270 Win. Reality has a way of messing with expectations.
My first big game rifle was a Model 700 in .270 Win. At that time, the '06 was thought to be too much gun for a kid.
I've watched shooters bench shoot .300 Win Mags. There is substantial recoil. I own a beautiful Belgian Browning that was manufactured in '69. It's chambered for .338 Win Mag. I've fired it exactly three times. That's all it took for me to know that it's far more powerful than I need to kill all North American big game. Many, many years ago, I bought a 7MM Rem Mag. I had wanted to get serious about killing elk. Just as intended and advertised, it will kill huge elk very dead. But so will an '06. So will a .308 Win. And so will a .270 Win. In fact, I'm doing the rest of my hunting with one of my 2 .270 Win's. That 43 year-old Model 700 will shoot .25" at a hundred yards. I have 100% confidence that that rifle will kill everything in North America. But then again, everything in North America, including polar bear, has been killed will arrows at about 300 FPS.
Nothing living remains in that condition sans its oxygenated blood pumping equipment. If hunters destroy topside oxygenated blood flow, they'll walk up to dead big game. What destroys that equipment is immaterial. That it is destroy is very material.
The problem I see with magnums is that they have to be heavy to absorb recoil. That makes them a huge pain where air gets real thin. If they're sporter weight, bench shooting recoil becomes an issue. Bench shooting is where confidence is created.
If I were accorded a hunting rifle do-over, I'd buy a 22" barreled .280 Rem and never look back. The 175 grain .284 caliber bullet is legendary for its ability to penetrate. An elephant culler killed hundreds of elephants with a 7x57 using 175 grain bullets.
I think that the .300 Win Mag is one of the best cartridges ever designed. However, I think that the 7MM Rem Mag is the most powerful cartridge that 90% of magnum shooters can shoot with accuracy. Flinching has a nasty way of screwing with bullet placement.
I know my limitations. I know that were I inclined, I could hunt with a .300 Win Mag. But I'd much rather carry a lighter gun that will kill big game just as dead. Hence, I can get done what needs doing with a lightweight Model 700 in .270 Win that'll print quarter-inch groups all day long. And I'll never fault another hunter for his choice of rifle and cartridge. He knows what's right for him a whole lot better than do I.
