I've had a 260 for about 10 years or so. Bought it for the wife, but she never took to pig hunting. Being a reloader, naturally I had to work up loads, and then started hunting with it. And then I parked my Sako 270 in the safe, where it still sits. Then got another 260 and sold the first one.
The 260 doesn't kick much. Very pleasant to shoot. As for effectiveness, I started with 120 gr Nosler BT's, which worked great on pigs, coyotes, and deer. Then, for more MV, I went to the 100 gr BT's. They worked very well also, though they seem to work a small bit less effectively than the 120 gr bullets. By that I mean that large hogs shot with the smaller bullet ran another 20 yards before dropping.
It doesn't hit as hard as my old 270 did, of that I'm sure, but the deer drop just as dead and just as fast.
So I'm a 260 fan. I'd be just as happy with the 6.5 Creedmore, but the Creed has advantages for long range shooters primarily. If you are a hunter like me, consider the cartridges to be the same.
So, get a Tikka T3 lite stainless with a 20 inch barrel, put a good scope on it. You'll have a light and handy rifle that's superbly accurate - with either caliber - and it won't kick you much.