Don - Yep. I have 3 Winchester Big Bores in 444, a custom long barrelled rifle, a standard rifle (actually, a Black Shadow converted to a standard configuration) and a Timber Carbine. My Timber Carbine is ported.
Yes, they kick but no worse than an 06 or 8mm in sporter configuration. The long barrel is very easy to shoot, as is the Timber Carbine (those prots really dampen the recoil). The standard rifle is the whomper but even that isn't all that bad. The worst problem in shooting these big bores is that from the bench, your should takes the pounding. In the field you hardly notice the darn things going off.
I recently loaded and tested my two longer barrelled 94s for an Elk and Russian Boar hunt. I know I went through more than 400 rounds to get to the best load for each rifle. The only thing that saved my sanity and my aspirin bill was a PAST Recoil Sheild and please lemme tellya that it really works. You would start to notice 'things' at about the 60 round mark but until then it was really quite OK.
And please let me tell you that my Timber Carbine is about the handiest doggone little sweetie I have ever handled and shot. That 1:12 twist will shoot some very heavy bullets very, very accurately.
I would get that thing in a heartbeat, install a nice recoil pad and have fun with it. Let us know whatcha decide. HTH. Mikey.
