Washo,

If you have your own place to shoot where you can build a standing bench rest, or if you can find a place that has one you will find that felt recoil is remarkably reduced, compared to a typical sitting bench rest. You will also find that a standing rest allows just as steady a hold for checking how your loads shoot.

In the abscence of a standing rest, sitting as low as possible, with the rest as high as possible will reduce felt recoils as well, allowing your torso to rock and absorb some of the recoil.

I haven't experienced a change in POI resulting from holding the rifle tighter, but then I always hold it with the same grip.

JPK