The recoil can be calculated for any load, if you know the weight of the gun, bullet, and powder charge, along with the velocity of the round. The formula is in the back of my Lyman reloading manual, which is currently boxed up, so someone else will have to help out with the details here. Bottom line, if you want to hurt yourself, shoot a heavy, fast bullet from a light weight, poorly stocked rifle with no recoil pad. If you want shooting to be a pleasant experience, shoot full size rifles that have enough weight to soak up some recoil, and get a comfortable recoil pad. I like firm rubber pads up until I pass the 444/30-06 level of recoil, then I like the soft, mushy recoil pads. These don't mount to my shoulder as fast, because they tend to be a little too "sticky", but there are products on the market that make them a little slicker.
I would recommend a 444 Marlin, if you want big performance with manageable recoil. Get the rifle length, with a 22" barrel(24" if you can find an old one), and put a comfortable recoil pad on the back. Shooting the short, ported carbines just robs velocity and deafens the countryside. Shoot 240 grain bullets until you're used to it, then move up to the heavies (300 grains and beyond). Put a receiver peep sight onto it, and you're ready to shoot out to 200 yards and farther, if you do your part. Animals will have a hard time telling they were shot with a 444, rather than the harder kicking hot-rodded 45-70 (not that I don't like those, too).
If you're not into traditional, tube magazine lever guns, check out Browning's BLR, or try to find an old Winchester 88. Both are available in cartridges that will shoot further than any responsible hunter tends to shoot. Their strong lock up and box magazines allow everything from .243 on up to some of the magnums in the BLR. The 88 can be found in chamberings like .243 Winchester, .284 Winchester, .308 Winchester, and .358 Winchester. The .308 and .358 are my favorites from that line up, and the BLR can be had in those flavors, too.
