Small Lady, you are right to be asking a lot of questions before a rifle purchase. Glad to hear your boss and coworkers have been helping you out and letting you try whatever they use. The more handling time you can get, the better informed will be your choices. The advice given so far has generally been pretty good, but as another small statured person, I can tell you that rifle fit is an important part of the selection process. You are even smaller than I am, so fit is going to be very important for you. The rifle use you are describing for this one sounds like you want this one for quick shots that are not super long, and for which you need to get it into play quickly. For that kind of use, fit matters a lot. So does balance, especially for someone your size.
There are not very many "pocket sized" selections of rifle models out there, regardless of caliber. Whatever you get may still need to have the stock shortened before you can do effective fast work with any rifle. Things affected by an oversized rifle or shotgun include time getting into battery, quickness of mounting the firearm, felt recoil, improper butt positioning on shoulder, ability to see out of a scope, sight picture on iron sights, ability to work the safety, ability to effectively cycle the bolt (or lever or pump), and a few other things average sized men won't even notice.
Hopefully your Christensen Ridgeline in 7mm PRC was fitted to your size. From your questions on bipods, I am guessing that you are not going to be using it for offhand or unrested shots, so hopefully you can compensate for excessive stock length with extra setup time. If it is to be a long-range hunting rifle, there are ways to work around the fit. Also hoping that whatever scope you choose allows considerable eye relief so you are not struggling to see out of the scope properly.
Most of the new rifles that are presently built are on stocks even longer than when I first started shooting myself. Guys have gotten bigger over time, and I guess several manufacturers have therefore increased their length of pull (LOP) accordingly. For us smaller people, that makes stock fit even more of a challenge.
My own rifles are older Ruger M77 tang safety wood stocked rifles. The higher comb on that model's stock allows me to get my short face up where I can align properly with the scope on low base rings. That allows a good cheek weld and much more consistent shooting, equaling smaller groups with consistent placement. The other part is that with the wood stocks I was able to shorten the stock and thus the length of pull. That got me behind the scope better and also allows me to cycle the bolt from my shoulder without having to lower the rifle. A good recoil pad also tames the recoil of anything, but particularly my .338 Win Mag so it is OK for a limited number of shots at a time. Still not a range toy, but a little less punishing. I have put Limbsavers on all mine, but you do have to calculate in the thickness of the pad into your length of pull so you don't add length back on.
Caliber would be secondary to fit, but in your circumstances something around a .270 Win. would be a good middle of the road cartridge/caliber to think about. A .270 also has a number of factory loadings available for a variety of game, and can be found almost anywhere. There are also reduced recoil loads that would be appropriate for deer sized animals and would be more pleasant for practice shooting. And you will need to practice. Like many others here, I have killed elk with a .270 it works fine on elk as long as you make good shots. A .270 is a fine, versatile, proven hunting cartridge.
Unfortunately the beautiful .270 Sako Geywolf you are eyeing would likely be a very poor fit for your small frame. Even if you have a skilled gunsmith who could shorten the stock, the proportions would likely be unbalanced, and the change in the center of gravity might make quick handling difficult. Balance can be more important than overall weight. Considering a shorter overall length (shorter barrel and shorter stock/LOP) of a youth or women's model would be a prudent place for you to start. Your 30-30 already gives you this smallness and slenderness.
I will send you a PM (personal message) so we can discuss more in personal detail if you would like. Good luck in this search.
