RE: Recoil question........
I would go for the 280 and if you want a little extra with it get a 280AI. I recently went from a 270 to a 300 WBY likethe bald guy above me said its not beyond my tolerence but I now see how fun my 270 really is to shoot. For normal shooting ranges the 300 is not needed at all, the 270, 280, and 30-06 are plenty out to 500+ yards. The 280AI is very popular among long range hunters and now has a few commercially available loads and would also be a great excuse to start handloading.