I recommend that you buy a Kimber 8400 in one of the short mags. They all work buy the one you find with the prettiest wood. They are a little lively in the recoil dept. but nothing you couldn't handle. I think they would be a top choice for you because they are well made (in America), Accurate to extremely accurate, Asthestically pleasing IHMO, and usually fit very well. If you think would rather have a little less recoil look at a Kimber 84 in 308 or 7-08. Before you buy anything else, do yourself a favor and shoulder both these rifles, I think you will end up liking what you see.
Second choice would be a Sako 75 preferably a Finnlite if you can afford one. I have a couple 1 is very accurate the other is scary accurate.
I personally do beleive that some composite stocks kick less than wood. I had a Sako 75 Delux (wood stocked) 300 Ultra Mag that gave me a headache after about 10 shots. I traded it for a Sako 75 Stainless/composite 300 Ultra Mag that I can shoot far more without discomfort. It may just be that the Stainless has a better recoil pad but it is definitely more comfortable to shoot (shoots awesome too).
My Elk Guide considers the 270 the low end for Elk. Sure they work but Elk are big critters I think that most people would rather have something that makes larger holes. Our lease had 1 elk killed with a 270 last year - It was shot 4 times. The 7mags and larger calibers had a much larger proportion of 1 shot kills..........DJ

Here's what I'd do: check out DJ's Loan & Sport Shop on Beardslee Boulevard in Bothell. Their phone number is 425-486-1919 if you need directions. They have an incredible used rack, including tons of synthetic stocked rifles and dozens of Model 70's in the cartridges you mention. Find the one that fits you best, pay the man and go hunting.

Hope this helps, Okie John.

Guys, once again, thank you very much for your advice. I will definitely take it to heart.
Regards,

Cliff
Seattle

Cliff, I was in a similar situation to yours, except that I am on the "right" side of the great state of Washington . I had previously owned rifles in .243 Win., .270 Win., 7mm-08,and 30-06 but had traded all of them off when I decided to "retire" from shooting and hunting. After about 5 years, I discovered how much I missed it and decided to resume the hobby. In trying to decide which rifle to buy for deer and the occasional elk, I almost drove myself crazy. But then I checked out the .270 Winchester Short Magnum and found a Model 70 Super Shadow at Walmart in the caliber. For about $400 I had a cartridge that will outperform the .270 winchester and get surprisingly close to the 7mm Remington Magnum. And I am convinced it recoils less than my old 30-06 lightweight carbine model 70. As a handloader I can also choose to duplicate .270 Win. ballistics to reduce recoil if I choose to, and actually load my ammo between the two, choosing a Nosler 140 gr Accubond bullet at about 3,000 fps. It will do the job on any deer at any reasonable range and I believe it will handle elk at 300 yards, if I do my part. If you want to have heavier bullets, then the 300 Winchester Short Magnum might be a better option, but I prefer the lower recoil of the .270 WSM since I will only hunt elk occasionally. Good Luck, and don't discount the short magnums. I am realy happy with mine.

I'll suggest the 7mm-08. With a premium 140 gr. Barnes TSX at around 2800-2900 fps you can hunt elk, deer and antelope, etc with confidence . A very accurate cartridge which has very light recoil and works well in light weight "mountain rifles". My rig is a T/C Encore with a 24" barrel and carries like a Model 7.

One shot at 225 yards dropped my 5x5 bull last year in his tracks. I'd leave the magnums to the under-achievers.

John, we must be neigbors and you must be reading my mind, as I'm heading up there tomorrow. I've bought a couple of shotguns from them and Bruce and his brother run a good shop. I think they have the best selection of used firearms in the Seattle area. Kesselrings may have a larger larger selection but they are a long way north. Anyway, thanks for the tip.
Cliff

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Here's what I'd do: check out DJ's Loan & Sport Shop on Beardslee Boulevard in Bothell. Their phone number is 425-486-1919 if you need directions. They have an incredible used rack, including tons of synthetic stocked rifles and dozens of Model 70's in the cartridges you mention. Find the one that fits you best, pay the man and go hunting.

Hope this helps, Okie John.

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