Back about 50 years ago, I started shooting competitively with an old 03 Springfield I bought at Monkey Wards for $12. I must confess,starting off for 2-4 years I was not very good at it and never progressed to even Expert.
It was a short stock and if not careful, I would creep up on it and the bolt would punch be in the nose.Prone it would drive me back several inches with each shot. I was 5'-6" and weighed about 125 pounds if I fell in a creek. I got use to the recoil but fellow shooters on the line, both sides of me, were no happy when I was driven back far enough to catch them with the muzzle blast . I had to work terribly hard to control my flinch.I did get good enough to feel confident to shoot deer and elk off hand at 100 yards or less
When DCM ( now CMP) started to sell Garands, I switched over. Recoil was not as bad, and after up grading it to National Match standards, I did a lot better. I never made it to M1A's. Years went by and now I shoot an AR-15 for fun, but my body gave out and competition ability is long since gone.
I did learn a lot though, but found out no matter how much you shoot in a controlled environment and how good you get, in the field, you don't feel the recoil.
As for triggers,once you master shooting a Winchester Model 88,everything else is easy
I am reminded of a young fellow I took elk hunting for his 1st time. He told me he could hit little pickles at 200 yards or so. He missed a cow elk at about 60 yards.
