I feel pretty much the same way. I cannot shoot the 7mm very well because of the kick. I am a 5'11 guy weighing the in the 230# neighborhood but have had shoulder problems and my neck is pretty bad off too, so the kick of a 7mm is just too much to be able to shoot very many times in a year. The .270 is my gun of choice for wide open shots, its what I take when I know that I will be in open areas. But for banging around in the brush and woods, theres nothing better than a lever action 30-30.