i personally think they kick more than the 308. im not a huge fan of the super shorts in any caliber for a couple reasons.

1. ammo availablility. go buy the 270 ssm at walmart? none there too bad. so what happens on that remote trip when you forgot your ammo?

2. the short case has a sharp angle when feeding into the reciever. have a a 243super short jam jam jam feeding into the chamber.

i think a 308 outfitted properly is a good choice but a better one may be a 30/06 for your purposes...WHY? well you said for you AND the smaller ones...you can use it to hunt the big stuff with super performance ammo and they can use it comfortably for deeer sized game using the light recoil ammos available for it! its a win win with super versatility. AND you can buy ammo anywhere

i dont even own an 06 but it is a gr8 caliber that doesnt get hyped much because its not the new thing.

The 270 wsm will kick more than the other two. Either of the other two would be a fine choice.  Are you going to hunt bear or moose? If so, I would go with the 308 and 200 gr bullets.  Otherwise, take your pick. Will you be reloading or buying ammo from the local store? If you reload, you can reduce your loads for the wife to shoot. The only time you'll feel the kick is at the range. You'll never realize it in a hunting situation. It the kick is a big concern for the wife, buy a dead sled, they worked great. Especially when dialing in a turkey gun.