I love both my .458's (Ruger No 1 and Ruger M77 MkI) and find neither of them abusive to shoot. The No 1 weighs 9 lbs 2 oz and the M77 just under 10 lbs. Even off the bench it's no big deal, just a good healthy push. I've fired many shotguns that were more uncomfortable to shoot.

As mentioned below, stock fit is very important with such rifles or you WILL find it unpleasant to shoot.

The .458 has alot of potential in terms of versatility for the reloader. There are LOTS of .458" bullets on the market from cast to inexpensive jacketed to super premium. You do not have to load it to full potential to have a fantastic short to medium range big game rifle for North America. Moderate loads are fun to shoot and still have ample whallop for anything you will find in this hemisphere. Brass for the .458 Win is cheap and plentiful too. It doesn't use enormous powder charges either compared to some of the heavies, so cost isn't prohibitive.

The .458 Winnie is a classic round and a joy to shoot!