As others have suggested, it's not as simple as which cartridge. Stock fit, gun weight, barrel length, recoil pads, etc. all play a role in perceived recoil. Yesterday, I shot a .243 in a 600 Mohawk with a ventilated recoil pad and it was pretty soft shooting. However, I also shot a new-to-me 6mm in a heavier 700 BDL without a recoil pad, just the plastic buttplate and felt myself getting a bit flinchy after a while. Again as others have said, I like recoil less and less as I age. I'm moving to smaller cartridges and lighter bullets in the bigger ones. I can still shoot the .280 Mountain Rifle well, but would rather not shoot the .308 Model Seven.
