For Hunting where the first shot counts and it is unlikely you will shoot more than 3 times if that I'm pretty sure most of us can put a very good hit on a deer with pretty much any rifle we are comfortable with. Shooting groups from a benchrest, getting up into ten rounds has nothing to do with any kind of hunting other than colony varmints. I have a shooting table right past my fence at the beginning of my driveway. I can pick a rifle and go sit at the bench and put a bullet from any of my tuned up hunting rifles exactly where I want it. Would 10 shot groups be bigger with say my 30-06 compared to my 243 or 223? Probably. How about one shot a day for ten days? Maybe but 1/4" isn't going to matter in a hunting situation just as we don't shoot ten shots at a deer.
Does recoil really figure into hunting scenarios? How many deer are shot from benchrests? How many shots are placed poorly because the shooter was excited? I have shot a lot of game and never noticed the recoil even with a 338 Win mag. If you flinch or pull the shot are you going to blame it on recoil or trigger control? For experienced hunters and shooters I'm pretty sure with a rifle I am used to shooting the first round is going exactly where I want it to Even from my 30-06, even from my 35 Whelen. I can say the same for my 22 ARC, my 223, my 243, my 257, my 260 Rem, my 7-08, my 7x57,my 280 AI or my 308.