PapaD, heavy recoil comes with having a lightweight rifle in a magnum caliber. That just comes with the territory. But, there is something you can do to make that recoil a little easier on the shoulder. I'm not a big fan of muzzle brakes, but a Sims recoil pad will make a difference. But as you said , "not concentrating on the gun" and "not packing the gun into my arm" will not only affect you accuracy, but it'll also make the you wish you were. Good luck.