Awesome Charge functionality

[Archaeik]

Awesome Charge wrote:

Benefit: When you hit your opponent with a charge attack, you can attempt an awesome blow combat maneuver against that opponent as a free action.

1. Does the Awesome Blow maneuver granted by Awesome Charge benefit from bonuses to the weapon you are using? (since it is ostensibly the delivery instrument)

Awesome Blow doesn't seem to normally utilize a weapon.

2. Do you still get to make the Awesome Blow check if you used a reach weapon to make the charge attack? (ie. your target is outside of your natural reach)

3. Charge attacks may also be a Bull Rush; may you follow your opponent so the Awesome Blow is more effective (knocking them into an obstacle)?
3b. If you do not follow them after a successful Bull Rush, do you still get to attempt your Awesome Blow (effectively adding it to the distance)?

I suspect the answers are
1. No, the AB maneuver is its own action, as such it would function normally.

2. Yes

3. Yes
3b. No, but they would move the farthest distance and fall prone if AB was successful.

I am most interested in opinions on #2

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

Awesome Blow is essentially a variant bull rush, and bull rushes don't operate with weapons, barring special abilities. OTOH the feat is a special ability and doesn't say "unless you're using a reach weapon." So I think

1 No

2 Yes

3 Using a maneuver, even successfully, does not constitute "hitting" your opponent, so the awesome charge benefit will not trigger if you do a bull rush instead of a normal attack.