.243 is the obvious choice,my wife hunts with the ruger m77 frontier rifle in .243. the scope mounts forward of the receiver on this gun so it keeps her from getting gun shy. It also has a short pull and short barrel which smaller framed people tend to find more easily maneuverable. Also it isn't the lightest gun, therefore has less recoil than the model 7. I do like the model 7, but to me it kicks a bunch even with the mild cartridges, I have one in 7mm-08 which I find gives me a hell of a whollop.