Yeah, if you get a mild caliber like the .243, there's really no need for the heavy barrel. There's some recoil benefit with big calibers. But, the .243 is mild enough that you don't really need it. My 13 year old son has a .243 Remington Youth Model 7. Very lightweight rifle, and still a very mild kicker. Heavies aren't bad if all you do is drive up to your blind and sit for four hours, but, if you do any walking around, they get a bit tedious.