Most folks consider the recoil of the .300 Weatherby to be somewhere between "stout" and "kicks the ever lovin' snot out of you!!!"
Rifle weight, stock design and FIT to your individual measurements make a huge difference in how the recoil feels. And a good muzzle brake can tame a hard kicker, but at the cost of making the gun LOUDER to everyone nearby.
The Vanguard does not have the Weatherby Mk V action or stock design. I've shot a .300 Mk V, and it beats me worse than my custom Mauser .458 Win Mag. Stock design and fit matter.
One fellow I knew used a .300 Mk V during his trips to Alaska, it was his "caribou rifle" and he loved it. One time, he took it deer hunting (it was a 3 day outing), and came home with his deer, a black eye, cut eyebrow and the whole right side of his face heavily bruised.
Seems that the first morning, a deer jumped from some brush at about 40yds range. He snapped the gun to his shoulder and shot. He got the deer, but because he had not taken the time to get a good solid mount with the gun, it beat him, rather severely. Again, stock design and FIT are important.
There are rounds that have more recoil than the .300Weatherby Mag, but not many that are as "sharp" and as heavy. If you have an injury that could be aggravated by sharp, heavy recoil I would not choose a .300Weatherby, UNLESS it had a good muzzle brake. If you go with the Vanguard in .300, I would spend the extra money needed and have a good muzzle brake installed. May seem expensive, but its cheaper than hospital bills and therapy if you damage your old injury again due to the vicious recoil a .300 Weatherby can have in some rifles.
I would also point out that in Scandinavian countries the 6.5x55mm Swede (which has less recoil than a .30-06) is considered a good round for moose. And their moose are approximately the same as our moose, even if the name they call them translates to "elk".
I would also mention that there places in Alaska where bears are heavily outnumbered by moose (have been on trips where bear sign was seen, but no bear, and moose were EVERYWHERE), and a moose with an attitude (which happens A LOT) can be every bit as bad for your health as a bear, maybe even worse.
Good luck, and good hunting!