Again, energy and momentum are not the same thing. Recoil is a conservation of momentum phenomenon.
We may be talking past each other.
The force applied to the bullet at ignition causes a equal and opposite force on the bolt face, which initially is held in place by the bolt lugs. The mass of a 55-77 grain bullet is trivial to the mass of the 5-7 lb rifle. The expanding gas is channeled to unlock the bolt and drive the BCG back. The BCG as it is accelerated by the gas has momentum, which is transferred to the spring and stored as energy in the compressed spring, which in return imparts that on the BCG as it is driven forward to load the next round.
All of that action is ‘powered’ by the cartridge you just fired, so the force applied to your shoulder (or body if you dont shoulder the gun) is less than what would have been applied by the amount used to cycle the action. In a bolt action, none of this energy is subtracted from the process, thus more ‘slam’.
I can see where I may have used the term energy in a confusing fashion, but all the energy originated from the firing of the cartridge and it is expended kinetically through these components.