True. First time I shot a 30-30, I didn’t have any kind of cushion on the butt plate.
G** damn, I felt like I’d been kicked in the shoulder by a mule, repeatedly.
But didn’t you see the old western movies where the guys were firing those lever action 30-30s and not flinching?
I had the same experience as you, on my first shot. Left a bruise.
You should try a 45-70.