Only marginal experience here, and that with a .444 so take it for what it's worth.
The recoil is not problem, it's that sloping comb made for open sights. My .444 whacked my face worse than any other rifle I've owned. A .458 or .375 Ruger #1 will rock your shoulder pretty good (and I do know that from personal experience) but they don't really hurt. That dang Marlin hurt my face and gave me the worst flinch I've ever had.
I know lots of folks shoot these big bore Marlisn with no problems and maybe it's just my build - 5' 10", medium build and about 165 lbs at the time. Maybe a shorter neck or thicker cheeks would have helped.
Also FWIW, I always thought a plain old 30-30 Marlin or Winchester 94 kicked more than it should. Not bad by any means, just more than they ought to for that little 30-30 round.
