I find stocks on most rifles to be short. To me this leads to getting more cheek bone on the stock rather the check. So I won't shorten a stock for a pad as some rifles I run across. The pad obviously helps with recoil, but the added length gets my face, when sighting especially on the bench in a good match up. I'm not a big guy, well tall anyway, recoil has never been a problem with a longer length of pull.
This 71 came to me with a 12 3/4" Montecarlo (after market) stock including the old style waffle recoil pad. I was lucky enough to find an original short tang stock in good shape for $20. With pad it's right at 14 inches.
I also find smaller people roll with recoil rather then big guys that tend to stop recoil. Took out bear hunters from time to time to the islands and you see all and sizes and shapes of people with every "bear" caliber under the Sun. This one hunt that comes to mind was booked buy my orthopedic Doctor/Surgeon. George shot a 270 and at the other end of the group was a Military contractor for Blackwater who was about 5'7" 140 pounds if I dipped him in the bay. George was average about 180 shooting a 270 and Blackwater was shooting a 416 Rigby. From what George said this guy could shoot. We were after black bear, an on the coast they tend to be bigger then the Bears in the interior of the state, just as the brown bears are. Anyway 416 Rigby with full house 400 grainers can be a handful. I'm a believer in carrying enough gun for critters that you might run into. Of course the individuals capabilities have to be factored into the equation.
This group consisted of a Doctor, two uniformed officers of the law, all Alaskans and Mr. Blackwater from parts unknown. One of the few groups that I felt comfortable with their level of commonsense, didn't have to quiz and inspect. Hate having to go rescue know-it-Alls.