My wife shoots a 250 Savage. She does not like recoil at all but finds the factory loaded 7MM08 acceptable. I have a really bad shoulder and it seems pretty mild to me as well. I got mine in the NEF rifle with the Youth Stock. It felt better on the bad shoulder. If I get the shoulder fixed I will get the regular stock from NEF for very little cost. The little rifle shoots 1 1/4 groups with 140 Corlokts. Not bad for a 200.00 gun brand new. Good Luck.. My wife is about 5'8'' and 125 lbs but she hates recoiling rifles. I once talked her into trying the 7 Mag.[:@][:@]. She was teed for a week.