7mm Rem. Mag. is an excellent choice for deer, blk.bear, and elk. Given elk on your
menu I think the round I'd try in my rifle first would be the Remington Core-Lokt Ultra with 160gr. bullet. Should work well for all three. If you're handloading take a look at
the Nosler Partition bullets, and the Speer Grand Slams.
Recoil, depending on rifle weight and stock dimensions, should be about
like most 30-06s.