:imo: In the end it's all down to the way YOU feel it. I am just so bust-up from shooting everything over the last near 50 years that I don't feel it much at all - not a macho thing, it's just that some kick a bit, and others just don't seem to. My Colt .45/.22 ACE had a very pronounced recoil for a teeny .22 in a big frame, but it was MEANT to simulate firing the .45 hardball, and did a pretty good job of doing just that.
Firing the Barrett light .50BMG was great fun, as was the McMillan bolt-action .50BMG...our .338Lapua Mag sniping rifle can be a punisher, too, if you don't snuck up real close to the stock...
But the most noticeably recoiling piece I ever shot was a Natal Native Police Martini carbine in .303 cordite. The 18 inch barrel and the compressed cordite charge was a real whammer in all directions, but by the time I got to shoot it I was well-past caring about recoil. My own S&W model 29 with 4" barrel, shooting 300gr bullets over 25.5gr of 2400, was a mite unpleasant for most folks to shoot, but my pal Rick, who is not only 6ft 10in but built to suit, barely noticed it. 'Hmmm', he said, handing the by then empty piece back to me after firing the lot in less than two seconds, 'sweet little back-up gun y'got there, T'.
My 14" barrelled TC Contender in .35 Whelen or .454 Casull were climbers, too. But only what you'd expect, I dare to opine.
My old Whitworth, with only an 80gr FFFG load behind the 595gr Polisar hex bullet to make it work satisfactorily, goes bang with barely a twitch.
tac :grey:
