ORIGINAL: c j
All good choices, IMO. But you say the 7-08 is possibly too much, so you'll maybe go with a 25-06. Won't a 25-06 kick more than a 7-08?
I have owned & shot the 7mm-08 & 25-06. The 7mm-08 was a Remington, model-7, the 25-06 is a Ruger,model-77. IMHO the 7mm-08 kicked like a mule. I am not sure how much of this recoil was felt from stock fit & design???
The felt recoil of the 7mm-08 over the 25-06 was at least double.