I hunt with a 243. It is savage model 12, 26" barrel and it weights in at 8.75 lbs. That gun weights a whole whopping 3 lbs more than a regular rifle. I can pack that gun around all day long and I can not see why sports man who are carring a 25 lb deer stand on thier back along with other gear can complain about a gun thats 3 lbs heavier. I do not understand it, especially when its a gun the person can shoot much better than a regular, lighter rifle. My recomendation is to start a the kids with a rifle like that. They are more steady and don't really kick at all.

Kids need practice and a good coach to learn to shoot. Hell I needpractice so I can make good shots.Maybe youcan tryhaveing themshooting bigger rifles and see what works good for them and what they are comfortable with. As far as a 243 being a bad round for deer. Thats a joke. If you shoot a deer in the heart or lungs with a 243 he isn't going far. If you gut shoot it yea, its going to a long ways. If you gut shoot it with a 7 mag or 300 win magits still going to go a long ways due to a bad shot.Accuracely and being able to make the shot is what kills. Not how big the caliber is. A deer shot with a 243 is just as shot as one with a 30-06. They don't care what caliber it is!