Recoil sensitivity has nothing to do with a person's weight! As a matter of fact, lighter people are punished less by recoil than heavy folks because they can "ride with it", having a lot less inertia than us fatties!

Think of it this way. Would you rather fire your .600 Nitro Express from a standing position with nothing behind you, or would you prefer to fire itwhen leaning with your back against a tree?

Look at Elmer Keith. He was a little fellow, and did not weigh much. But he was totally impervious to recoil! How did he get that way? By shooting a lot, and working his way up to the bigger guns gradually!!

I would suggest starting your wife off with a rifle like a7mm/'08, 7X57mm Mauser, or .308 Winchester. BUT USE reduced handloads to start with. With full-charge loads, any of these calibers will take elk quite well.

Have her practice a lot, andincrease the powder charge and/or bullet weight in her cartridges gradually as she becomes less sensititve. If she shoots five to ten rounds a week with slow increases in power level, I guarantee she will be able to use a full-charge cartridge by this coming deer season. BUT she must do the requiredpracticing! Probably needs practice anyway!

BTW, I have found that, often, "recoil sensitivity" is actually caused bythe loud noise a high-powered rifle makes, and people who are afraid of recoil can actually shoot pretty well when using good ear protection. So make sure she has a good set of ear protectors!