I carry "Stub" quite a lot.
It started as a standard Ruger Tang 77 in .30-06, bought used for $80. Figured I could salvage the action and stock....Pretty rough shape, showing exterior surface rust and water marks /blistering on the stock. Could not even see through the bore, but that cleaned up well enough to take a chance on before replacing the barrel.
Once I got the muzzle bulge off, the barrel was 17". Clover leafed the first 3 shots from a cold barrel, 5 went to @5 inches. Epoxy flat-bedding the action to 2.5 inches forward of the recoil lug with the rest free-floated fixed that, but now it shoots 1.25 inch groups, any number of rounds.
So much for a knock-around "boat gun". But that full stock looked funny with the short bbl, so, after killing a ram at @330 yards on one day, and a moose @70 yards 4 days later, over-winter I docked the stock fore and aft, and slimmed it down to fit my 5'4" wife and make it look balanced. It has since taken a couple more sheep, dunno how many moose, at least half a dozen caribou and a black bear or two. Not bad for a "carbine" or "youth model".
I've been hunting with it for about 30 years now. I do put on a 1" slip-on recoil pad over the 1" Decelerator to fit me a little better. Longest shot with it so far is about 375 yards, paced.
There is some added noise and recoil .......