RE: WHICH RECOIL PAD TO TAME RECOIL
The only rifle I have that has a recoil pad of any use is my 1895 Guide gun. The rest have a solid rubber, plastic or metaly butt plate.
I don't worry too much about recoil while hunting. But shooting the bigger bores off the bench I have a slip on Limbsaver recoil pad that absorbs quite a bit of the recoil.