Truth be told, my unbraked 20" 375AI is not exactly a church mouse when it goes off.
There is a lot to the geometry of the stock and how hard it recoils. I have an extremely light 30-06 that is a kitten for right-handed shooters (absolutely brutal for lefties) with a 23 ounce stock and 1" Pachmeyer pad. Cast makes a huge difference.
That 375 AI is a smart cartridge. 7-7.5 lbs unscoped, they carry ok. Standard cartridge dimensions allow for 4-5 cartridges down. 375 caliber size needs less barrel for efficient burn of medium-fast powders, so 20" is on par. Chambered in standard sized rifles, you don't have to carry the heft of the magnum bolt rifles. Powder capacity around 55-65 grains of powder, the recoil is minimal closer to the 55 grain mark, but manageable up towards or slightly past 60 grains.
If I were elderly, or had serious injuries to neck, back or shoulders, I would personally pick up a 308 Winchester, 338 Federal, or 358 Winchester for all my Alaskan Hunting. At 45-50 grains of powder, the recoil is a non issue, Follow up shots will be quickest of the bunch. 6-6.5 lbs, they carry like a dream.
Doctari wrote about the sweet spot in velocity for good penetration in all African Game. I believe 2400 fps was the upper end.
It's no wonder that yukon 254 sent a 250 grain partition clear through a very large bison, fired from a 358 winchester. That's about as tough of a test you'll find in North America.
