The recoil isn’t heavy, but it is FAST!!! The blinding speed of the smack in the cheek is most distasteful to many. The bigger calibers push harder but often not as fast. It’s kinda like getting slapped fast in the face vs being pushed over by a heavy shove. The slap is fast and makes much noise and your head may even rock back a bit but a big push to the chest won’t hurt so much but will likely have you on your ass.

The difference and comparison between the two types of recoil becomes very obvious when one shoots the small calibers. A .257 Weatherby comes back fast but is so light it’s over before you know it and doesn’t hurt in the least. The .30-06 is quite a bit “heavier” but pushes slower thus feels less intimidating. Either way, a .257 Bee or a .30-06 is negligible in recoil and both are easily handled by most folks without breaking a sweat but they are different. Kinda like torque vs horsepower. A big tractor is a beast for power but will not outrun a Porsche and they both feel very different. Slow big push vs fast light push.

The other thing I find about the fast Weatherbys is that the report is much sharper and adds to the sensation albeit in an auditory way. I find that I am more equipped to deal with the slower bigger push and the absence of the very hyper sharp crack also makes me react differently. Practice with either will surely make one proficient, and conditioning is everything. Still, I don’t want to subject myself to the fast smack and the sharp noise that comes along with it. Kinda psychologically like the embarrassment of getting smacked in the face in front of a crowd - its just a distasteful experience, but if it happens to you every day I suppose it becomes the new normal