In theory, Roy Weatherby designed his stocks to transfer recoil in a more reaward direction, and so they wouldn't hit the shooter in the face under heavy recoil. I would agree, as that would seem to be the case with mine. Some do not agree, and I think it still has a lot to do with propper hold. I have several Remington 700s, and while I real like the feel of their stocks, my old 700 BDL 30 06, is one of the hardest recoiling rifles I own. It is one of the old ones with the walnut stock and plastic butt plate. I have an ADL from the same period (1970s) with a limbsaver pad that is a *****cat to shoot. Techically they are the same rifle with the BDL having a little fancier stock. I have a mark 5 in .300wby, and a vangaurd in 7mm rem, and in my opinion, neither is painful to shoot. I have never fired a weatherby caliber in a any other rifle though.