Size has got nothin to do with recoil....alot of big guys are pansys when it comes to recoil and I have seen small women eat it up just fine. Its all preference.

As for the calibre I am another vote for the .270 I have it in a Winchester 70 featherweight shootin 130 grain remingto corelocks for deer and other such critters. Killed a mess of critters with it.