hey man well im just goin to say im 15 now i started hunting when i was 11. ive own a 7mm08 it a wonderful catridge for a kid. i love mine. i shot my first deer though with a 270 which is a great caliber too. between the two i would get a 270. to me a 270 is way better than a 243. 243s are slower shot with more arch and not as powerful. i would go for a 270 anyday. if u dont think u can haandle the recoil of a 270 a 7mm08 is good but the bullets are kinda hard to find. my advice as a fellow young hunter pf the two get a 270. hope this is of help. and ive killed nine deer and 6 of them were a 7mm08 kill they all dropped in there tracks its a good gun the i shot one with a 270 dropped in its tracks. their good guns.