Ottsm... welcome to the Forum!!!
Actually, the .300 Savage, even with "maximum" loads, isn't much of a "kicker". I believe the "standard" factory loads (150 grain bullet) have an acknowledge recoil of 14 foot/pounds compared to a .308 Winchester that runs about 18 ft/lbs or a .30/06 which has between 19 to 22 ft/lbs of recoil, depending on the bullet weight.
"Sensed recoil" is determined by several factors, the primary ones are the amount of powder, the bullet weight, the weight of the rifle in which the cartridge is fired and the fit of the rifle to the shooter.
Increasing either the powder amount or the bullet weight will increase the amount of shooter-sensed recoil just as shooting lighter bullets with less powder will reduce the shooter-sensed recoil.
What most would call the "standard" bullet weight for the .300 Savage is 150 grains and that weight bullet is one of the two most common factory loads. The commercial loaders also load the 180 grain bullet, but I'm confident they don't sell all that many rounds loaded with the .180 grain bullets because the longer 180 grain bullets "intrudes" too much into the cartridge case thus limiting the amount of powder that can be put in the case.
But back to how to have an effective (for hunting), yet low recoil round....use lighter bullets and a lighter powder load in a slightly heavier rifle that fits you well.
Certainly, a 125 or 130 grain bullet will get the job done on any deer. Combine that with a starting load of IMR3031, IMR4895 or H4895 (approximately 36.0 grains of powder in any of the three powders) in an 8-8� pound rifle (including scope) that fits you well and you have exactly what you're looking for... a load and rifle yielding a "sensed recoil" of about 10-12 ft/lbs... or about what a .243 Winchester yields in a varmint rifle with a heavy barrel.
Try the above load and see how it goes... (jus' my 2�)
Strength & Honor...
Ron T.
