The last rifle I bought (just last week ) is a Savage 93R17 in a pretty varigated laminated thumbhole stock. I installed a 4.5x14 Leupold Vari-X III. It's a 17HMR I'm HOPING the recoil won't be too much more than my Kimber 17Mach2. The biggest bore (does not necessarily equate to biggest recoil) rifle I have owned and hunted with (meaning I could tolerate the recoil) was a 470NE Merkel Double. I have owned 3 300Win Magnums and could not tolerate the recoil on any of them. I had 35 Whelen Model 54 Winchester that I enjoyed shooting and Heym straight pull in the same caliber I could not tolerate. Both fit me very well. I currently have 4 375H&H's and shoot them extensively (at least 3 of them) usually 20/30 rounds at a session. One is a custom Model 70 in a Dave Miller laminate. One is a custom Mauser with an integral quarter rib barrel (barrel was done by Dave Miller) in a custom stock from a Dave Miller blank. One is a Brno ZKK 602 that has been extensively customized. All three of these rifles fit me perfectly as I have made sure of that. The 4th is a stock Ruger No1 that also fits perfectly as I am pretty lucky that most standard stocks fit. The Ruger is hardy tolerable. I have often pondered this very question of recoil over the last 50 or so years I've been building rifles and thought for some time it was the recoil impulse cycle but that was easily disproved with both the 35 Whelens and the 375's. Finally dawned on me some rifles just kick more than others. I came to this conclusion because I have NEVER fired a 300Win that was NOT uncomfortable to fire. I just buy them and shoot them and if I can't take it (meaning it HURTS) I sell them. What constitutes hurt? I can't answer that question either but as the Justice said I know it when I feel it. So what is my 'recoil tolerance', I have no idea. I can probably tolerate hurt but again to what degree. I have finally decided with this thread that if it hurts I'm no longer going to tolerate it.