Mike & Holmes

For me the recoil into the shoulder is not really a problem at all. Given a reasonable number of shots.

I often only shoot with a thin shirt but now usually use a thin shooting vest as well. In winter a jacket and I just hang a towell under the jacket and that works fine.

My problem is I had a pinched nerve in my neck and the whiplash affect is the problem. Not much you can do about that. So I just limit the shots where possible.

None of my shotguns have recoil pads at all, just wood, metail or plastic in one case. Shooting a couple hundred 12 gauges does result in a sore shoulder.