Like I said, have owned six 338's that ranged in weight from 7.75 to 9.5 lbs... the two extremes aren't the same.
As to not feeling recoil in the field, as the kids say "well, duh"!
Point is, doing load development etc., requires bench time and a 7.5 lb 338 isn't much fun at the bench... develop a flinch at the bench and it'll show up in the field.
But then I'm a whimp...
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
