[oldgutpile]

do yourself a favor when shooting off of the bench, and get yourself a PAST shooting pad. When I am practicing in the early season, the thickness of the shooting pad is about the same thickness as my hunting jacket. As for recoil, you never feel that when you are shooting at game anyways!
Double-up on hearing protection, and a good shooting pad, and you will never tell the difference when you are shooting in the field. AND, you will do it without developing a flinch.
My first .338 was a browning A-bolt, extremely lightweight, and kicked like a mule with just a tee-shirt. (I also have a nasty tendency to push the limit on my reloads up to where I have to pound the bolt open, and the primers dissappear: not recommended BTW). By using the proper gear at the shooting bench, I never had any issues while in the field.