Originally Posted by CalHunter

A different path to consider might be to find a rifle that your wife likes in .243W. That caliber would work well for everything but elk and have a LOT less recoil. When you guys go for that elk hunt every 10 years or whenever, she could borrow your 30-06 or get another rifle in one of your original calibers for hunting elk. I know an extra rifle in your gun safe is a burden but you should be willing to take that burden on, especially for your wife.