im not too little for my age...im 5'9" 190 or so....been shooting since i could hold a gun so i can take recoil...i can shoot 20rds from my 3006 and be fine...and shot my friends 300weatherby 5 times and it wasnt terrible..i mean it was a good kick being in a mod70 featherweight but i took it ok...i just dont need the snot beat out of me when i feel like sitting down and shooting 50rds at diffrent ranges with my "target" rifle..i really dont need a magnum for my jobs...sure they pack the punch way out there and drop a bit less...but you pay for it and barrels go bad quicker...im going to look at the 6.5 and the 25.06...i know guys that love both...maybe in a ruger no1 or a tc...i dont know why but i want something small now too lol...