What do you think the reason the .375 is not bad for felt recoil? It's a big bullet with lots of powder behind it. Do you use slow powders?
I used to own a .458 mag, and the recoil was brutal.
Disclaimer: Only my opinion. No scientific research on my part:
For me, it is about having a good stock fit. Both .375's I have owned have "fit me" well. The .270Win mentioned above, did not, it slapped my cheek bone every time I pulled the trigger. 9 rounds was the max I could do with it in a day. My 9lb Sako sporter in .375 I could go 20 rounds in an afternoon before it became uncomfortable. My current custom .375 weighs in at 11 lbs (target was 10lbs, missed) I could shoot all afternoon as long as I take time not to let the barrel get hot.
A good scope with plenty of eye relief (4" to 5")so the shooter does not worry about "scope bite" is very important. Getting the scope down low on the rifle so the shooter can keep their head/cheek down on the stock and still maintain good sight picture. A good recoil pad.
Plenty of practice. With smaller rifles to get good form. With the rifle in question to become accustomed to that rifle. Start off with hand loads if necessary, work up to the full power stuff.
During practice, take a page from the guys who sight in the factory TRUE HEAVY rifles (460's, 470's, 500's) for a living. Do your sighting in from a standing rested position. I do not have a factory set up for a standing rest. But, a 5 foot diameter round bale of hay works pretty well for me. With a solid round bale to lean against and rest my arms on, and with a sling wrapped around my forearm, I have printed multiple 2" groups at 292 yards with my .375. Not benchrest accuracy. But definitely Minute Of Elk, and probably more realistic than shooting from a bench. After sighting in from the top of the bale, walk around the front and practice from the sitting position leaning back against the bale. And then short range off hand practice.
One of the interesting things that I learned from shooting off the top of the round bale was that I tended to wrap my fingers too far around the fore end of the stock. Even tho I have small hands, my finger tips were occasionally touching/pressing against the barrel. Even with a .375 bullet, and a #5 barrel, and a very solid HS Precision stock, my finger tips touching the barrel would pull the shot. One of my mental preparation things now is to ensure my fingers are on the stock, not on the barrel.
Just my $0.02. YMMV....
