Recoil is one of the reasons I gravitated toward the 338-06. Had a Whelen in a 700 Classic and it was brutal to shoot with 225 and 250gr.
It could have been stock design, but it was not fun to shoot. If you can't shoot a rifle enough to be become familiar and comfortable.... I do not want to hunt with it.
Stock design makes way more difference in recoil than whether the cartridge is 338/06 or 35 Whelen, in my experience. Mine were so similar I couldn't tell a difference in recoil at all, both being pretty reasonable to shoot, even though the Whelen was the lighter rifle.
