Is there a correlation between stock pitch (positive or negative) and muzzle rise or handling recoil?

I believe a straighter stock (less drop at the heel) results in more recoil being transferred straight back and thus less muzzle rise. Less muzzle rise means the face takes less punishment and the shoulder receives more of the recoil. Also, a thicker butt will spread the load over a larger area on the shoulder, thus reducing the felt recoil a bit.

Probably the easiest way to reduce felt recoil is by adding weight to the gun. Other things to consider would include a good recoil pad and some sort of recoil reducer in the stock. There is also barrel porting but that greatly increases muzzle blast (noise).

Well, everything you said is true, but it doesn't address pitch. Pitch being the angle of the butt of the stock in relation to the line of sight.

It has long been said that pitch, either positive or negative can make a shotgun shoot low or high. I was wondering if that translated into a rifle's muzzle tending to rise with recoil.

And I wonder what effect a gummy Pachmayr pad has as opposed to a hard buttplate.

Guess I was not paying close attention to your question. The only experience I have with "pitch" is with sporting clays shotguns. I am right handed but on occasion will use a buddies gun who is left handed. His gun is pitched differently than mine are but other than having difficulty with getting my head properly on the stock, I have noticed no difference in recoil.

I don't think pitch will affect an aimed rifle shot. I do think if the pitch is set so there's less area of butt-to-shoulder contact, the felt recoil will increase.

Capt,
The nomenclature for the buttstock bending to the right or left, is cast off or cast on, respectively. It's a Brit thing .
Decent explanation of stock fitting terms

Pitch is the relationship expressed in degrees between the bore and the angle of the butt to that line. Things that can effect pitch requirements are the shape of ones chest as a full figured chest slopes out more quickly and requires less pitch (that is the toe is closer to the bottom metal) for full butt support on the shoulder pocket. In an exagerated form way to much pitch with more toe contact than heel will tend to make the barrel rise as it tries to bring recoil equally to the heel which has no contact. Conversely to little pitch can make the heel want to rise making the shot go low. Positional shooting as against snap shooting may well require different pitch and it may be talored for an individual shooters build as well as his shooting style. Possible more inportant on sporting shotguns but as for rifles I have found that 5 degrees is usually universally usable. I did change to 3 degrees for my last rifle (and shortened the LOP by 3/16) as it was designed to be more quickly mounted.

Von Gruff.

Thanks guys, I learned something!