I think a lot of the felt recoil depends on your body size/weight. I weigh 140lbs with little body fat, firing one or two rounds is no big deal but at the range, 20 shells leaves a baseball size bruise and at that point there is no getting around the pain, I have to stop. I have never experienced this with my 30-06. I started using the .338 two years ago because I was interested in "knocking that deer down" but have found that no matter how big the gun is, knocking a deer down is based on bullet placement. in the field hunting I could put the butt of the .338 on my chin and not feel it, an exaggeration, but with warm gear on and adrenaline, I have not felt it at all in the field. on the last day of the season this year I took out my old, cheap, plain 30-06, dropped a mulie on his first escape bound and realized right there that my old 30-06 is the gun I will "hunt" with from now on. it just feels good, the length, the weight, it fits me and I am most familiar with it. the only problem is that I gave that gun to my son several years ago.

craig burnett