Buying an entry level rifle for a new shooter to use for a few years, I'd go as small as I could find. I used a 700 in 243 for the kids to start killing stuff at age 8. No flinching developed and they had great success in the field. After a few years, simply buy a better quality slightly larger rig and roll on. I think the old 243 had a 4x weaver on it so they didn't screw around with the scope any.
Good luck either way.
