I had an 1892 Win., in 44 mag. and with the "crescent butt plate" it was torture to shoot, especially from the rest. I had an 1895 cowboy in 45-70 Govt. and I was surprised at how close the recoil was in the 44 mag. and by the way-quality has slipped since Marlin was bought by you know who, and older guns are selling at a premium. For all around applications, including defense and hunting, I used a Win model 94ae in 357 mag as a basis. I put a Bushnell trophy red dot on it, forward of the receiver in a "scout rifle" configuration. I load 158gr HCLRNFP bullets over Unique, and it shoots very clean, as long as I load for 12-1300 fps. Remember, that 16 inch barrel typically increases velocity by 30-40%, so I am able to load them the same as I do for revolvers and it works very well. Bullets come from midatlanticbullets.com- the owner there has the same gun, and recommended this loading. It is a joy to shoot for anyone, and packs a punch, but not in your shoulder!