On another note..............ask a bunch of locals who have taken and or in been in on the taking of 50 or more elk and see what they say....Just a thunk. I'm not talking once or twice in a life time elk guys, I'm talking guys who've been doing it for several decades.
On a side note, it's amazing to watch how so many people are so ignorant about how effective the various 6.5's can be on elk. Killing elk isn't rocket science, take out the lungs/heart and you've got a dead elk.
Maybe it's just me, but what you described is the reason the 7mm rem mag is so popular. Less recoil than the 300 win mag, but big enough for elk. Obviously the win mag will have more stopping power, but many, MANY elk have been taken to the 7 rem mag. Plenty of other options too, but if you don't reload, my vote is the 7mm rem mag for less recoil if that's what you prefer. Better to have a 7 and not flinch than a 300 and flinchThanks for the responses guys. Im just trying to figure out what caliber of rifle i want to build. Im trying to decide between the .260 or 300wm. I just liked the idea of the lighter recoil with the .260, but obviously the 300wm would be superior in terms of energy. Thanks again.