I might add on recoil...I've shot a few .308 light rifles than hurt/got in my face more than many 300 mags, In fact, I have had some 30-06 rifles kick far more than any 300 Mag I've shot, ha. when compared to shotgun fit, a person usually has time to adjust to a bad fitting rifle. I see lots of guys with 'standard" LOP factory rifles who hunt all bundled up...or get the top edge of the stock caught in their armpit before they can get on a "usually running" elk! The added "pressure" of desiring a trophy on a paid hunt, for me, has had me choose 300 magnums up through .375, all with monos for the added insurance, but they were rifles I shot extensively ( and wanted the experience of hunting with) long before. Every rifle I took to South Africa/Namibia on four hunts had all been shot at least 100 times, and some had killed deer/antelope, etc beforehand. All part of the fun for me! I hate "make do"...growing up poor did that to me. I'm sure I could have killed half the trophies in my life with my old Mod 94 Classic 30-30 carbine I bought myself at 16. You remember, the Friday Afternoon Special that had an "oval" chamber, 6# trigger pull? The one that shot about 5" at 100 and could only "nick" an antifreeze jug at 150...from the sit? ha Luckily for me, I had a place to hunt where I didn't have to shoot past 75yds most of the time! It was a beautiful rifle though, and I admired it many hours sitting in a tree or beside a big White Oak. But I'd rather have more options, ha.
In fact, I have had some 30-06 rifles kick far more than any 300 Mag I've shot, ha. when compared to shotgun fit, a person usually has time to adjust to a bad fitting rifle. I see lots of guys with 'standard" LOP factory rifles who hunt all bundled up...or get the top edge of the stock caught in their armpit before they can get on a "usually running" elk! The added "pressure" of desiring a trophy on a paid hunt, for me, has had me choose 300 magnums up through .375, all with monos for the added insurance, but they were rifles I shot extensively ( and wanted the experience of hunting with) long before. Every rifle I took to South Africa/Namibia on four hunts had all been shot at least 100 times, and some had killed deer/antelope, etc beforehand. All part of the fun for me! I hate "make do"...growing up poor did that to me. I'm sure I could have killed half the trophies in my life with my old Mod 94 Classic 30-30 carbine I bought myself at 16. You remember, the Friday Afternoon Special that had an "oval" chamber, 6# trigger pull? The one that shot about 5" at 100 and could only "nick" an antifreeze jug at 150...from the sit? ha Luckily for me, I had a place to hunt where I didn't have to shoot past 75yds most of the time! 