That's a good point about gun weight.
Comparing Marlin's offerings, their 336 30-30 is listed at 7 lbs., and their 1894 44 mag. is listed at 6.5 lbs. I don't know how accurate those estimates are (my 1894c weighs 1/2 pound more than they claim), but 30-30s probably will run a bit heavier.
Henry offers both guns with octagonal barrels, and these are both heavy, listed 8.68 lbs for the 44, 8.3 lbs. for the 30-30. They also have a standard barrel 30-30 at 7 lbs.
Of course, there are other brands, including winchester, uberti, rossi, and mossberg that make/made rifles in these calibers. The point is that the amount of recoil energy is about even to begin with. The other factors: gun fit, gun weight, and ammo selection, are what will ultimately determine which feels better on the shoulder.