Go for the 243. I got a one for Christmas and it is an awesome gun. I'm not a real big person and the kick is just fine. Actually, my husband might use it for mulie hunting this year, because his 270 wsm kick like a mule. He's getting pansy as he gets older .

We hada redneck Valentine's day when he got me a 9mm pistoland aredneck Christmas with the 243 all in the same year!