IrvJr,
Shooting heavy recoiling handguns well requires more than just loading it up to full tilt and goin for a a ride
I'm a bit of a big bore single action nut and love the big boomers, but it is rare that I shoot full house loads in the really heavy artillery. One of the advantages of going to a larger bore diameter is that it can frequently be loaded to exceed the performance of a smaller bore with less or more comfortable recoil impulse. I find it much more pleasant to shoot my .475 with a 420 grain bullet loaded to 1000fps than it is to shoot my .44s loaded with a 240 at 1400+fps. The recoil impulse is slower and the blast is not near as harsh. Make no mistake, it still booms and pushes on ya quite a bit, but overall, easier on the shooter.
Larger bores allow for equal and even increased performance with a reduction in pressure. My preference is to step up in caliber and down in load intensity if more performance is needed for a given task. If I need more than a .44 mag, I will load a .45 Colt with a somewhat heavier bullet and a healthy dose of H110. Need more yet? Load up the 454 with a 335 and drive it to moderate velocity (1450 or so). The next step is to the .475 with a 420 at 1050. Yes, the bigger guns do recoil more, but it is a different kind of recoil when you are downloading to just above the next smaller caliber, rather than loading the smaller caliber to higher pressures. I almost never shoot full tilt loads in the big boomers, simply because I don't have much need to. By keeping the pressure down, and letting bullet weight and diameter do the work, rather than velocity, the big bores will do pretty much anything you could ask of a handgun, and do it with manageable recoil.
The big bores require practice and conditioning to become proficient. Walk before you run, build your tolerance to recoil slowly and take frequent breaks while shooting long strings. Keep in mind that calibers like the .44 magnum and larger are not generally intended for long range sessions, but for hunting and defense against large, dangerous animals.
JW