I find it interesting how different shooters rate the recoil of the different calibers.
For instance:
I find the recoil of the various 300 Mags to be more than the 338 Win Mags I have shot.

I find the recoil of the 340 WBY I had to be less than the 375 H&H's I have had. One was a Whitworth the others were fairly light for 375's I admit.

While several people have said the recoil of the 378 WBY is the worst of the WBYs I think the 460 is the worst, followed by the 416, then the 378, and I have fired them all a fair amount.

In the exact same rifle ie a Weatherby DGR the 375 H&H kicks faster than the 458, but the 458 thumps more.

I find the standard screw on muzzle break with holes all round is just too loud to hunt with, however the 300 Win Mag Magna-Port bbl I have does not seem any louder to me than a regular bbl. The recoil and muzzle lift is greatly reduced.

I have discovered that double rifles are superior to all other rifles for hunting. This is comparing iron sights to iron sights and scopes to scopes. [My 9,3x74R double rifle, scoped, has proved to be fully the equal for shots out to 300 yards to any other rifle I have used]

I guess it is all a matter of perception.

I've had a few interesting perceptions on recoil. With my 350 Rigby, 66 gr of varget pushes a 250 gr bullet 2700 fps, and recoil is tollerable. With 71 gr of H 4350, the same 250 gr bullet is pushed 2700 fps, but recoil is most unpleasant, as the stock really slaps the face, but not so with the Varget load.

As far as big rifle recoil, I've had both a 9# 458 Lott, and a 10 1/2# 500 Jeffrey in the same stock. Top loads in the Lott were 87 gr RL 15 under a 500 gr Hornady for 2280 fps, and starter loads with the 500 Jeffrey were 100 gr Varget under a 600 gr bullet for 2200 fps. The 500 Jeffrey moves me back further in recoil, but the recoil pulse from the 458 Lott was much more unpleasant.

For me Pain starts at my 416 Remington, after the shot I can still feel something inside my shoulder. I can't endure 458 Lott pain for as many shots as I can 416 pain. 300 mags to 375 H&H's all just kick a bit and I don't really notice too much difference except for a wood stocked 300 RUM that gave me a headache after about 20 rounds, and my 376 Steyr scout which is just below the pain threshold........DJ