I've been leaning towards the whelen but the federal still has me interested. I like the fact that the whelen has multiple ammo manufactures. The federal has one. I have read that the recoil of the whelen is comparable to the 30-06 with similar bullet weights. I've also read that it's more like a "push" than a hard smack of a 300 win mag. I would probably go with 180 to 200 for deer hunting. How would you guys say the recoil is for the whelen