I've shot lots of hotter Hornady Light Magnum .303 Brit rounds through my Enfield, kicks pretty good so I installed a slip-on recoil pad. My dad's 20 yo BRNO .30-06 with a plastic butt plate and hot 220 gr loads kicks good, my .45-70 with Hornady loads doesn't bother me nor does 3" slugs through my 870.. My new Rem 700 .30-06 is a pussy cat.
Probably the dumbest one and the hardest recoil was I got talked into firing a 2 3/4" rifled slug through an old Stevens 12 ga 3 rnd pump action with a 28" bbl and a full choke.. Yes, I said full choke. I didn't know any better at the time but between the back pressure and complete lack of recoil pad I mind as well been slammed by a linebacker.. Looking back I still can't believe that gun didn't blow apart. 3" woulda done it I bet. Stupid. It was done over a case of beer and it was started as a joke about killing the old POS freebe rifle, it was almost done seriously.
I don't really appreciate heavy recoil for more than a couple of rounds, for plinking I like light recoil if I'm going to be shooting all day. But that doesn't mean I won't pull the trigger on pretty much anything at least once.. Apparently. At 6'1" 200 lbs I absorb recoil pretty well, especially with my tactical vest on with the recoil pad built in it. LR