Yeah, the front brain shot is pretty exacting, but doable if he's standing still. It doesn't take much of a gun to kill a hog, IF all conditions are perfect. Heck, I've killed 250 pounders with a .22 LR to the brain. Reason I like the big heavy bullets is because you just don't always get that brain shot I like. Then, when you have to shoot through that shield, or even a broadside shot behind it, bigger is better, IMO.
Somebody had put a Pachmayr ventilated pad on my #3 when I got it, and it helped a lot. But, that short barrel just reared up so bad when she recoiled. My son killed his first deer with that #3, at 10 years old, using my 2100 fps reloads. He used to shoot it off the bench at that early age. I got a kick out of watching the grown men cringe at the way it bucked and jumped around when he shot it. I made a point not to ever let him hear the old wive's tales about a gun "kicking yo' teef out', or one "knockin' you flat on yo' back", and he never was bothered by it. 'Course, ear protection is the best recoil pad ever made, anyway.
SRH
