You probably have all the info you need by now .... but .... I have both. Truly there is no comparison, except that they are both the same caliber.

In my opinion, the 300 Win. Mag. is an excellent choice for a 1-rifle selection, but way beyond what is necessary for deer sized game. It'll handle 150-220 gr. bullets well, with my personal favorite in the 180-200 grain size. I have used mine on white tails and mule deer ... with shot opportunities out to about 425 yards. Not a problem.

The 308 Win. is my No.1 hunting cartridge by choice. I use a 165 gr. bullet. Usually a Sierra Game King or Nosler Partition. Heavier bullets such as 180-200 br. take up case space, and in my opinion lend to less optimum performance. I have used it on feral hogs, mule deer, coyotes and white tail, with shot opportunities from near point blank out to 350-375 yards. I have had zero problems with clean, quick kills. It is primarily about placement anyway.

I have seen recoil charts but forget where or the details. The 300 Win. Mag., pushing a 200 gr. bullet an nominal muzzle velocities seems to me to be about 2X the recoil of a 308 Win. likewise pushing a 165 gr. bullet.

Alot of people complain about the recoil of the .300 mag. Im only 15 and handle it fine.

You get about 20-30% more power with about 50% more powder being burned and about 60-75% more felt recoil with the Mag over the standard .308. All of this is dependent on the rifle and the load being used of coarse, but it should give you a pretty good idea of where to two compare to each other. The .308 Winchester is one of the most efficient case designs there is.

Whats the big deal with the .300 WSM. Isnt there some science with the way the change in cartridge shape that make the powder burn diffrent

From Chuck Hawk's website about rifle recoil, energy, etc...

Rifle Cartridge.........Weight.....Recoil energy (how hard it kicks).....Recoil Velocity (how fast it kicks)
.308 Winchester.........7.5.........................15.80...................................11.70
.300 Win Mag.............8.5.........................25.90..................................14.00

I'm not really sure but my 308 is a really nice gun it's a mossberg and has some problems but the 308 is Also high velocity

Alot of recoil diffrence there