Thanks for the replies so far! Don't get me wrong guys, the recoil is not the problem. It's very manageable! The blast and meat damage are a little much. With 180 gr Federals the penetration on a 300 lb hog was on par with a 30/06 180 on a different hog. (the same day) The meat damage was quite a bit more, and the bullet shed its jacket along the way to the opposite shoulder.
JeffG -
This sounds more like a bullet selection problem than a cartridge problem. One thing you need to understand is that just because a manufacturer loads a bullet in a particular cartridge does not meant that it is a particularly good choice for a given application. Nosler, for example, specifies the maximum impact velocity for the Ballistic Tip at 3000fps, then loads the 110g BT to 3520fps in the .257 Weatherby. At that velocity the bullet doesn't drop to acceptable velocities (by Nosler standards) until past the 200-yard line. My own maximum impact velocity for the BT bullets, especially the small diameter variety like the .257, is much less - more like 2600fps. Using that figure the Nosler load doesn't work until past the 385-yard line.
Loading the .300WSM down is a great way to go if you reload. If not, simply choose a better bullet like the AccuBond or, even better, the Barnes TSX/TTSX/MRX or Speer Trophy Bonded, all loaded by Federal.
Rebarreling may not work as well as you would wish because the bolt face is opened up to accept the WSM case head, which is a .535". The .25-06 or .243 you are thinking of have a case head diameter of .473. There is also the issue of the magazine follower and feed lips which may not work well with the smaller diameter cartridges.
If you really don't want the .300 WSM, trading the rifle would be the route I would take.
