Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Help with son's first deer rifle: Ruger American vs Remington SPS?

Hello,
My 11 yr old son is wanting his first deer rifle for Christmas. He is average build and has comfortably shot my friend's .243 Ruger M77. We mainly hunt whitetails in the foothills of north Georgia where the average shot is well under 100 yds and the deer are not big. I am wanting to keep the budget reasonable (<$400). Local WalMart has Remington 700 SPS with cheap scope for $377. I was looking at the Ruger American, particularly the Compact model due to shorter LOP and shorter barrel. I might top it off with a Redfield Revolution or same friend with .243 has said would sell an older Leupold Var-X II 2-7x33 for $100. Any input on the Ruger Compact? I like the tang safety better on it than the Remington.
All input appreciated!