Assuming an 8 lb rifle including scope and mounts and about 2850 fps from those 120 gr bullets you're around 13 ft lbs recoil. That's less than 30-30. Almost nobody uses a recoil pad on 30-30. And your 6.5 has a modern straight comb stock which greatly reduces felt recoil compared to 30-30.
Quite often the effects of recoil are more between the ears than real. It is easy to convince ourselves that certain guns kick more, or less, than they really do. As long as you believe that rifle kicks hard, it will. Once you convince yourself it doesn't kick as much as a 30-30 you'll find it isn't that bad.
The cure is to shoot it more. If it were mine I'd do that. You could use a slip on recoil pad just at the range for a while then gradually wean yourself off of it. It will lengthen LOP when installed. But for temporary use shooting at the range shouldn't be a real handicap. It might be an issue hunting when you have to make quick shots from field positions.
Quite often the effects of recoil are more between the ears than real. It is easy to convince ourselves that certain guns kick more, or less, than they really do. As long as you believe that rifle kicks hard, it will. Once you convince yourself it doesn't kick as much as a 30-30 you'll find it isn't that bad.
The cure is to shoot it more. If it were mine I'd do that. You could use a slip on recoil pad just at the range for a while then gradually wean yourself off of it. It will lengthen LOP when installed. But for temporary use shooting at the range shouldn't be a real handicap. It might be an issue hunting when you have to make quick shots from field positions.