I have never been recoil shy. I have always shot 7 mags as my go-to rifles. I now own an'06 that kicks harder than either of my magnums. I have pretty much benched all of them in lieu of my Creed and .260s. The lighter recoil is much more fun at the range and since I primarily hunt deer and antelope, I don't need the heavy bullets all that badly, now.
As I get older, I guess in some ways I get a bit smarter. I used to think that it was all about velocity etc., but now, with all of the good bullets and powders, it just is not necessary to shoot heavy kickers for most hunting.
For years I ran around with a m77 tanger in 338 Win mag for PA whitetail. Killed the chit out of them too. As did the 300 Ultra and Win mag. I too am a 7 Rem mag fan. My favorite all arounder. Nuttin wrong with belts or big cases. Billions of dollars have been made pushing heavy for caliber bullets to new and exciting levels. Doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good 270 Win or creedmoor. Life is short. Shoot often.
