My 30 has been restocked with a heftier hunk of wood, it'll still kick you crosseyed.(I was told it was once owned by Elmer Keith) I'll admit to being a coward with my 35, it has the original stock and I've never gone over about 35 Whelen levels. Besides, I read Phil Sharpe's account about how the 35 kicks twice. 250 grains at 3k...maybe later. Charley said it was no more than a 12 ga., in a 3lb gun maybe.
The 256 is a sweetheart, mild recoil, accurate and it really reaches out. Charley built a 7mm mag based on the 30,35,40 case but he never did anything with it because he didn't see any advantage over the 256. He used to invent cartridges and send them off to friends for testing. I was told that is where Gebby got the first 22-250.