Providence farm I said his injury was in his hip, not his shoulder. I took care of the recoil with 11 ounces of mercury in the bud stock. And a custom break that I built myself. Recoil was less than a 7 mm WSM that I was working on at the same time.
Just curious, how many elk have you shot over there in Indiana?
Just assumption on my part hip injury is normal an older person. They tend to be more sensitive and don't heal up as fast.
I also am cheap and enjoy shooting more than a box of shells at a time. And it's cheaper to shoot other rounds and can get the same results. And if shots are long that means more practice is needed.
Just me but I'd I need a big gun it will be bigger than .30 and more efficient and more energy. Only reason for me to stay .30 would be If I didn't want to buy a larger cal suppressor. Yep recoil can be reduced and why my kids when only max 80lb were shooting desert tech suppressed 338s and suppressed arm light 50 bmg at such a young age. a break would be my last choice but I like what little hearing I have left but they are effective.
I understand more gun and that's why I prefer things like 243 and 7/08 for coyote vs a 5.56. Bang flop vs spinner and flipper.
Different things for different people. We all have our preferences. Those preferences have changed for me based on needs and experience.
I have never shot an elk probably never will. I tend to gravitate twords the cheapest most effective tool for the job that gets the job done to my standards. Ballistics don't always reflect killing performance. Yet going back and forth for years in Magnum guns and shooting mostly inside 600 yards occasionally out to 1100 I came to have my preference. Hard recoil nearly 2x more powder burnt for a couple inches less drop and drift (especially when at 500 or less) was not worth the minimal gain. I like light, accurate, efficient, and quiet with energy to put the critters down at my expected range. For me and if I were hunting Elk it is obvious not the same thing you would choose. That's why we have choices. .22 lr to the head drops deer faster than a 300 in the chest at 40 yards . But neither is my
preferred choice. Lots of things work very well. Pick what you like.
Got to say if I couldn't walk well I would not be taking long shots on game alone especially big game. It's hard to find where animals were standing at 100 yards let alone 500 across a cannon. I shot a deer at 302 with a muzzle loader once when I was on a walker from a wreck. It dropped I needs help to get it up the steep hill. Can't say I would want to pack an elk very far even In pieces. Then again maybe the area most places can be driven to ?
Edit I sold my .50bmg. Fun but not practical or useful for me to have so much capital tied up in at the time.