Hi everyone, this is my first post, and it's gonna be a doozie. I've only been hunting for a few years now, and didn't really enjoy my first deer rifle (.270 Remington 700). The round was good, I just didn't care for the sloppy action. That's why I'm getting a Handi rifle! Anyways, I've been attracted to the .338-06, but it would cost me a fortune to either have a barrel rebored, or ordered from the T/C custom shop. My local gun dealer told me he could get me a .35 Whelen within a week, and I've fallen in love after researching it a bit. I know there have been some problems with ammunition, and I don't know squat about reloading. Has anyone had any experience with the Nosler ammo? Or has anyone heard if Remington or Federal fixed theirs? Would it be more cost effective in the long run to reload my own? A box of 20 Remington cartridges go from $25.00 - $30.00, and I saw earlier that 30 .358 bullets go for about the same... Also, I've never actually handled one of these rifles. The fit of the wood stock doesn't look to great to me. Would it be better to get one of the Choate monte carlo synthetic stocks? I know recoil will probably be a bear, and I intend on putting a recoil pad on it. Would it do well to have the barrel ported or a muzzle brake installed? Is the recoil manageable enough to not justify the gross increase in muzzle blast? I like the idea of the permanent internal muzzle brake, but it states you'd lose about 1 1/2" in effective barrel length. Would this decrease MV or accuracy too much from the 22" barrel? Any help would be appreciated.