I would recommend that you not listen to Sea Stories as other than entertainment.
Total recoil force is caused by the outflow of gas and the bullet, compared to the weight of the rifle. You can reduce the effect of the gas with a muzzle brake, but you get the gas pushed back at you. That might cause you to blink, and that may lead to more delay than the recoil. If you add some weight to the rifle (add a 6 lb of weight such as filling your pistol grip with lead, and more lead in your shoulder stock, and add a large scope)) you can change the ratio. For more class, add gold instead of lead.
Peak recoil force can be reduced by spreading recoil out in time. That can be accomplished by a properly tuned rubber pad. If your rifle bolt bangs back into the stop you could get a momentary peak, but that is from the weight of the bolt, not the rifle. You can add a stronger spring to reduce that, but most of the recoil has already happened (the gas tube is out near the muzzle, and the gas has to propagate back to the bolt, so the round is gone before the bolt unlocks. The disadvantage with a stronger spring is you reduce reliability. The operating spring must be in tune with the magazine spring, and further, a light round may not push the bolt all the way back.
A better way to reduce the time between hits on a target is to go with a few friends. That is how we did it in the Civil War.
Please see my post #14.
My friend is a serious sort, not prone to fish stories.
We’ve known him and his family for years.
If he recommends it, I’ll consider it; try it.
He picked up his (personal) AR and showed me how to make the change from spring to the piston in less than a minute.
What can it hurt? Especially If I can do a better job of putting lead on target, fast, well down range.
FWIW, just to stir the pot, he also believes the 870 is the perfect home defense shotgun for his wife at home to have at the ready.