Ok before we get too far on your question, a couple of questions?

`1.What gun are you shooting now?
2.What do you plan to use the gun for? (waterfowl,upland,clay targets)
3.Have you shot an over/under before?

Ok now lets look at some + and - of a over/under, they are one of the best pointing shotguns ever. Most high quality o/u's have great balance and are easy to carry. Choice of 2 different chokes, fast follow up shot,easy maintenance, ability to shoot any type of shotshell ( correctly chambered). Also for those that use them on clay targets easy to save hulls for reloading. Now on the negative side IMO only 2 shots, not easy to load in a layout blind or confined area, some are a little on the heavy side. Initial price can be high (if kept for a long time negligible). With that said as far as recoil how many shells do you shoot in a day? Some clay target shooters shoot hundreds of shells a day through an o/u. Recoil can be managed (reducers, shooting lite loads) you don't have to shoot the heaviest loads to get the best results. My advice is to visit your local skeet/trap club, talk with o/u owners ask if you could try a round with one (some clubs have loaner guns) and see how you like it. Another plus with o/u is they retain their value better than most shotguns. If your buying a gun smaller than a 12ga for upland or dove you problably won't shoot enough shells in a day for recoil to be a problem. Good Luck.