If so, what’s your opinion of the caliber?

Kills critters.

Yes sir. Makes a big hole. I like it and want another one along with a 358 Win.

it is what it is and damn good at it . i have two a H&R single shot and a Savage Axis II XP 30-06 i done a 24 inch barrel and stock swap on . they are my go to now .

recoil to me is about like a 06 or 7mag . the H&R is perfect in a ground blind or carrying in thick stuff . 300 yard gun easy and it hits hard . i order my ammo but ive seen it a lot of sporting good stores . cost is not that bad .i use Hornady 200gr interlock sp works well in my guns

ill add this , i wish i had know about the round a long time ago

338-06 better in every way but 35 Whelen good also
When you neck up to .338 it makes magic from 30-06
Mine are:
Running 180 gr accubonds at 2960
230gr Hornady eldx at 2750
No pressure signs from either

The eldx has .616 ballistic coefficient makes it a viable long range cartridge as well.
Can't do any of that with 35 Whelen.
When you neck 30-06 to 338 it makes it most efficient cartridge there is

54-56 GR of powder roughly with 300wsm to 300 winmag killing power just shy of 338 winmag

No magnum case rim or Magnum primer.easy on brass and 30-06 brass is easy to buy and form to 338-06

And 30-06 falls on it's face well before these ballistics are acheived

I'm shooting 73 grs of powder in my 300win mag to get comparable killing power

I think BobK uses his in Mississippi. Whelen's 35 was the poor man's. 375 h&h for awhile in the '20s and yes it will whomp&stomp any critter while not killing your shoulder. When I've messed with it used 4064&H335 and I can't remember who but somebody said the cfe223 powder was solid. I'd use one with no issues.

I load with CFE223 under a 250gr Speer hot core. Stupid accuracy with that load. I haven’t shot anything with them yet but I’m sure planning on it. I’ve killed several with the 200gr Winchester soft points. They deer don’t like them at all. There’s no doubt when you hit em with it.

My 35 Whelen AI is brutal on the shoulder. It's a custom stock with a steel butt plate and it gets painful off the bench if i don't wear a pad on my shoulder.

I’m gonna. Do some diggin on this. I like the sound of it.

Nah , id just soon buy shells and go kill deer

I definitely like my 338 06 AI more than my 35 Whelen AI.

For most all that takes up to much money and time . I got about $1000 tied up in both guns and the way I hunt I put them up against any gun made and I can just run to town and buy ammo

I can walk into my reloading room and make all the ammo i need for either my 338 06 AI or 35 Whelen AI.

Of course, you spent the time , money and effort to do so for the guns and ammo . Aint a thing wrong with it . Course you'd have to reload for it A $120 for a box of shell get expensive and reloading for probably aint very cheap

A horse is a horse, of course, of course
And no one can talk to a horse of course
That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed!