MHC
I think the best choice for an "all round" double rifle for DGR is one of the 450/400's in a British rifle. A 450/400 that weighs less than 10 lbs is easy to carry and has very mild recoil in comparasion to the power offered. My 450/400 3 1/4" weighs 9 1/4 lbs. It has been to Montana on a couple of true backpack Black Bear hunts, and to Alaska on Caribou and a Brown Bear hunt. It is no problem carrying this rifle in rough country.
My 450 No2 double is my all time favorite rifle, it weighs 11 3/4 lbs, which I find just a little bit to heavy for rough country. If your are looking for a new made double the 500/416 is also an excellent choice.
A scoped [in QD mounts] double rifle in one of the 40 calibers may just be the best "all round" DGR there is.
I would not even consider getting a new made double WITHOUT QD scope mounts. A scope does the same for a double rifle as it does for a bolt rifle.
Even if my new made double rifle was going to be a 470 it would have the scope option.
In a double rifle a 470 is never a bad choice, it will probably weigh a little more and kick a little harder than a 400, but the 470's I have shot were not "painful bruisers".
All in all for a persons first big bore double rifle it is hard to beat a 450/400.

Mickey1
Per your "request" I did not say anything nice about the 450 3 1/4".
It truely is a sleeper. I prefer the 450 bore to the 470.
I just happened to have found a 450 No2 that fit me before I found a 450 3 1/4".

I really want a 577 now...

Maybe in 40 yeers...

I have a 450#2 Jeff that I like a lot but when I found the 'other' one (the one that shall not be named)in a Westley Richards it became my new love. 1.5 lbs lighter and 5/8" narrower with 26 inch barrels and the WR Centenial Engraving I was hooked. Long legs and slim with a cheekpiece that begs for your face on it. The fact that it shoots into 1/2" of an inch at 50 yards is okay too.

IMO the 470 recoils more than a little bit more than the 450-400....there is no comparison.

Ray
You are entirely correct. While shooting at game The recoil will not be noticed. However, when sighting in and practicing the increased recoil from the 450 and 470 bore rifles will definitely be noticed. Jumping from the 338/375 class of rifle to a 450/470 class of rifle is a BIG jump.
This is another reason the 400's are such a good choice for a persons first big bore DGR.
If you find the perfect 450/470 bore rifle a good thing to do is use 350gr. bullets for initial practice and the hunting of deer and pig sized game. The reduction in recoil with a 350gr bullet in the 450 and 470 bore rifles is substantial. Several people have fired a 450/400 with the standard 400gr bullet, then fired my 450 No2 with 350gr. and 480/500gr standard loads, all have commented that the 480/500grain loads are a step up in recoil. Recently 3 people [including me] fired a Krieghoff 500/416 and then my 450 No2 both with full power loads. All thought the 450 No2 had more recoil.
The 350gr. loads in my No2 hit the exact same place as the 480/500grain bullets. By doing most of my practicing and deer, pig, etc. hunting with the 350grain loads I save my shoulder and they are probably easier on the rifle as well.
By the same token I also use 300 gr. bullets in my 450/400 3 1/4". These lighter weights bullets provide more pleasureable shooting and the construction is much more suited to the game being hunted.