The howa/ vanguard is a good rifle too. Own a and old vanguard in 243,a newer one in 300 wby, a howa in 338 win, and a Smith and Wesson made by howa in 7mm rem. The plain synthic vanguard is cheaper by me by $50 then the howa.

I like the CVA scout in 243. I picked one up for my wife
And she loves it. Check it out.

If you can find an older Rem model 7 or 700 mountain rifle in either 260 or 7-08 you will have your "do everything" gun with almost no recoil & light weight.

When I say "older" I mean before the "Rem-Lin" days,

The 260 Mountain rifle was my all time favorite & has less recoil than my 243 Ruger but was much more versatile for game selection.

What are your feelings on a single shot? The Thompson Center line has been in my safe's for a lot of years now and all have served me well. The also have a fine "newer" line of bolt actions.

With the single shots, you will have the versatility of various calibers along with the light weight you need. With my age advancing on me like a runaway train, I too know the need for a light weight rifle. Getting a bit recoil sensitive as well but not so bad as to HAVE to set my big bore babies down just yet.

I personally would search for a good used "action" and then order whatever caliber barrel you want. Could probably pick up the "action" for lower than 400 and a really well made barrel for 200 or so.

I really enjoy shooting my Pro Hunter because of the Limbsaver tech in the stock. Makes my .338fed barrel feel more like a well behaved .308.

Check out the CVA Hunter. It's light weight and easy on my old joints. It's inexpensive $179 at Academy Sports. I have a homemade shooting stick that doubles as a walking stick to help me in the woods. I try to make it easy on myself.

i wouldn't worry too much about that angle anyway your not a smuggler so i wouldn't even give it a thought. there is no doubt about the goings on there iv'e seen it with my own eye's i wouldn't hunt with any rifle other than a semi-auto of whatever caliber i need plus a handgun and keep my handgun on 24/7 you just can't take a chance out there someone could kill you and they would never find out who did it that's scary !!

I would agree with a .223 if you were thinking about lots of range time with factory ammo, but you mentioned that you're going to reload and keep your shots close. I've got four fused vertebrae in my neck and six in my back, so I understand the recoil issue and keeping the rifle light enough to easily carry. Have you ever considered a Marlin 336 in .30-30? Factory rounds for deer hunting, recoil the same as a .243. When I'm not deer hunting I only shoot cast bullets and the recoil is significantly less, and the bullets are inexpensive. A cast lead bullet over a light load of Trail Boss or Unique will kill rabbits, turkeys, javelina or coyotes all day long out to 100 yards.

Check out the Savage light Weight Hunter, it comes in a 223, and a bunch of other good rounds. I have one in a 308, it is awesome to carry and it very accurate.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/11LH