I got a featherweight with rifle sights for $100, a police trade in but bought in a divorce divestment package. I promptly tested a lot of every brand of slug I had. Beat the ever loving crap out of me is an understatement. Think I was over fifty rounds that night. It is the only social shotgun I have left.
The worst recoil experience I ever had was with Dad's 37. Some friends and I went to the local sportsmen's club to shoot some clay birds. Somehow a paper-cased slug had worked its way into a box of my Winchester AA reloads. No clue how I managed to do that. Not paying attention.
So, I put it in the gun, popped it up to my shoulder, and pulled the trigger. It was hot out, I was wearing a T shirt, didn't have a recoil pad, and neglected to get a decent shoulder and cheek weld.
It went about as well as you can expect.
The stock drove back into my shoulder like a pissed off rhino and my right thumb came up and caught me in the cheek and nose. Gave me a bloody nose.
I didn't shoot that day. I just ran the trap.
And gained a LOT of appreciation for basic shooting fundamentals.