I have two 30.06's. The first was my fathers that he got in1971.It never came with a recoil pad and it was bearable to shoot, butI chose to shoot other rifles for the simplefact that i could shoot tons more without worrying about getting tired of therecoil after 2 boxes. ThoughI loved the rifle and had noproblems with it, I wanted to get a stainless steel one with the composite stock for adverse weather conditions. WhenI purchased the SPS Stainless, it came with a R3 (Simms) recoil pad. I thought nothing of it until i shot the rifle for the first time and couldnt believe how much more pleasant it was. Not that the older, non-padded rifle was bad by any means, but this new one with the pad was absolutely pleasant and I could fire as many rounds as my wallet would let me without everfeeling the slightest bit ofdiscomfort. I then bought a B&C medalist stock that came with the Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad. The rifleseemed to have a little less "kick" butI attributed it to the increase in weight with the new stock, but otherwise felt very similar in terms of recoil, just better grouping at the range.To be honest, I dont think i could tell a difference in the two pads if they were on the same stock and fired back to back. Both work remarkably well and I wouldnt hesitate to purchase either brand again. I tell you what though, if the next 30 cal or larger rifle i buy doesnt come with a pad, onewill be on its way in the mail within 5 min of the rifle purchase