My 338 has a " perceived" less recoil than my 7 mm mag. Why? Probably because I have a featherweight stock on my 7mm and the 338 is about 9 pounds. Anyway, I get a fast jab from the 7mm and a somewhat slower feeling push from the 338. Don' t get me wrong, if I shoot the 338 10 times, my shoulder and neck are going to know it the next day. But the 338 doesn' t seem to give me a flinch as much as the 7mm. I would either get a heavier 338 or get one with a recoil arrester on it.