what are opinions of stock shapes and recoil with big bores?

the cz hogback, vs cz american, which seems to handle recoil better?

The folk at AHR would probably be able to give you some great insight on this subject as they have tremendous experience with CZs and use them to build really big, big bores. Their home-brewed stock design sure as heck works, too!

I found the American more comfortable.

I will say I put a few rounds thru Art Alphin A-square rifles and that damn Coil "Chunk" stock works. Shot 15 rounds( off my butt and bench) of 416 Rigby 400grn down the range and I'm not even tender. Bucked about like my 9.3 in my Blaser.

Not eye candy but works!

Ed

I changed the stock on my .416 CZ to a Bavarian (hogback) stock and was suprised by how much the recoil was reduced. The complicator is that the Bavarian stock was a gift from another shooter who had just changed it for an American style and was also thrilled by the recoil reduction. Bottom line is you will have to shoot them both and make up your own mind.

I'am a big guy with a long neck and my CZ550FS (Bavarian) in 9.3X62 is the best stock style that I own not only for its recoil control but also for using both open sites and a scope(either or)...I like it so much I plan on modeling one up for my Ruger #1 which is a crappy fit for me...
It all comes down to indiviual fit and your shooting style I suppose, eh?
BTW a American style stock with a Monte Carlo hump to my eye is the same as the Bavarian stock with back part of the hump removed..ie. continue the comb line of the Monte Carlo and curve it down toward the heel of the butt and you have a Bavarian stock...Yes?

A lot of sales hype has gone into this subject to sell guns...

The Monte Carlo, the American classic, and the Barvarian all do an acceptable job, and the human body can adjust to about any rifle in time..but with most you have to shoot either scope or irons.

IMO, the English rifles made for the African trade such as the Holland and Hollands etc suck up recoil about as well as any I have shot, at least for my body configuration, so that is what I shoot..I like a low comb rifle that allows me to shoot irons and scope, it works well for me and I have no trouble shooting scopes from the low comb, in fact I prefer it..Maybe because I was fortunate enough to grow up shooting irons on a M-70, then one day Bill Weaver and Dick Shaw gave all of my family a Weaver 2.5X and we just stuck'em on and continued to kill deer, antelope and elk as usual...never knew any better and I think the good Lord for that because I don't have to deal with the hype.