With 180 grain Sierra bullets and a case full of H110 , 29 grains was the sweet spot in the Ruger carbine for function and accuracy . It shoot 2" 100 yard groups with scope at 4.5x at that range out of a Caldwell Lead sled. The recoil isn't bad for 180 grains at 2100 FPS ! The gas action softens it , but the curved aluminum butt -hurts ! in a T shirt for a magazine full. This is a ferocious BlackTail load, but prefer 240 grain softpoints for hogs at about 1700fps.
I've never thought there was much recoil with the gun, but then, I am comparing it to the Marlin lever actions, including their .44 magnum which I also own. The .444 marlin has a very significant recoil which is why I rarely use it, although I really like that gun as well.
I think recoil is, in part, a function of how well a gun fits the shooter. In the areas of trap, skeet, sporting clays, shooters talk constantly about shotgun fit, but it is rarely discussed with rifles. While I know it is also important with rifles, I also know that the average shooter doesn't shoot most of his/her rifles enough to justify the costs involved of having a rifle fitted, and, there are very few qualified gun fitters available today. The ones that are, are normally very busy with the shotgun clay shooters anyway.
The Ruger is certainly not a target gun, nor even a fun range gun. Your 2" 100 yard groups is very good for this or any brush gun, but not so much for long range guns. I can, and have, shot lots of deer in the spine (including a running one) at 50-75 yards with this gun, freehand and with no scope, and that is good enough for me. ( I prefer spine shots over the front haunches because I never have a deer I have to chase if I do my job, and I don't waste meat.)
If I were hunting mule deer in the western states, this gun would be almost useless to me. Every western deer and elk I'v shot were at very long ranges for me, and I spent considerable range time, getting the rust off my long range skills every time I was going West to hunt. That does mean very tight groups from a very accurate rifle in a much different caliber and bullet configuration.
However, for the shorter distances most of us east of the Mississippi encounter, and the type of larger game we hunt (whitetails and black bear and hogs) I love this gun.