In my experience gun fit and gun weight are very important to reduce felt recoil. A gun that kicks the crap out of me might be quite tolerable to others and vise versa.
Stock fit is key. I had a 9 1/4 lb 30-06 that was no joy to shoot. I had another 30-06 built for me with a fitted stock that weighs just over 7 lb. With the same 180gr load at about 2800fps, the 7lb rifle has significantly less felt recoil (it also has a better recoil pad). I also have a 375H&H with the identical stock dimensions that I can reel off 20 rounds off the bench without any problems and I'm no masochist.
