No doubt that if I wanted to "have to" own only one rifle for NA hunting I could do a lot worse than the .300 WM but I don't care to restrict myself like that, so thank God I don't have to consider it.
The heaviest rifle in my cabinet is a .30-06 and while it's my "go to" rifle it's almost always overkill. I have a .280 AI that is becoming a "go to" but is also overkill by a healthy margin. Sure would kill the heck out of an elk I'm sure.
I'm not a big believer in the ft/lbs calculations this gentleman uses as a basis of comparison, though I also admit to knowing of no better way to compare, either.
I've found that stock fit is critical to my ability to handle recoil. I have a friend who owns a SS 700 Laminate in 338 RUM which I've shot several times w/o major issue. My 30-06, on the other hand, is very light weight and had a short classic stock w/ a recoil pad with as much give as a steel-belted radial. I bought an old 03-A3 w/ a Fajen Monte Carlo and thick ventilated pad and found I could shoot the heck out of that rifle. I added 1.5" of length to the classic stocked 06, 1" of which was a good pad, and VIOLA! I could shoot the heck out of it, too...
People who don't care for recoil aren't pansies at all and it's ignorant chest-thumping to suggest that's the case. I've found that judgments to stock fit make a massive difference, though I still wouldn't care for a .300 Mag of any sort, opting instead for a 338 if taking any step above the venerable (and as yet, the OP notwithstanding, CLEARLY undefeated versatility champ) 06.
