The shape of this Winchester stock really increases the amount of recoil that you feel.
Notice how the comb (top surface of this stock) slopes upward. This shape causes a rifle to recoil back - right into your face. This stock design almost always delivers brutal recoil. The 30-30 Win. is not a powerful caliber by any means, but just shoot one of these Winchesters, and you'll feel a whole lot more recoil than you should. It's mostly due to this stock design. The angle of the butt plate is another problem. The top of the butt plate is slanted to the rear, and that causes recoil to pound the upper part of your shoulder. This is the very worst stock design there is for comfortable shooting.
This particular Remington stock recoils straight back. It's much better.
Notice how the comb of this stock is perfectly parallel with the barrel. This allows the rifle to recoil straight back along (but not into) your face. This stock design is a major improvement, and you'll feel a great deal less recoil with this stock design. The angle of this butt plate is also much better than the Winchester. It's still slanted slightly to the rear, (but not as much) and it delivers recoil lower on your shoulder where it's more comfortable. A well designed recoil pad obviously reduces recoil even more.
Weatherby stocks are well designed, and you'll feel less recoil with this stock design.
Notice how the front of the comb on this stock slopes downward.
This allows the rifle to recoil straight back, and away from your face.
This stock design also delivers recoil to your shoulder the way
it should. However, the butt plate is still not "perfectly"
perpendicular to the barrel. The top of the butt is slanted
"very slightly" to the rear. This puts recoil just a bit high on
your shoulder. Changing this angle just enough to make it
perpendicular to the barrel would make the recoil feel noticably
lighter, especially when shooting from the prone position or from a
bench.
Keep these two stock angles in mind the next time
you refinish your stock. Even a slight change of these angles
can reduce recoil considerably. One more note. I hate to
see hunters use recoil brakes, because that increases noise to
dangerous levels that can ruin your hearing with just one shot.
A recoil brake can permanently affect your hearing (for life), if
you're not wearing ear protection! The next time you install a
recoil pad, be sure to maintain the correct length of pull (from center
of the pad to the trigger), and improve the angle of your recoil pad.
The reduction in felt recoil, with a well designed stock, is a
tremendous improvement.
