You can't go wrong with the 7mm-08. I'd pick it over both the 243 and the 25-06. Loaded with 140gr bullets, it's effective on all big game animals in North America (excluding grizzlies and polar bears of course). And recoil is very manageable. The 7mm-08 is what my cousins, my brother, and I all learned on, and none of us have ever had an issue with recoil. I honestly don't think there is a better caliber made for young hunters.

Having said that, the 6.5x55 Swede is close in performance and recoil from what I have heard, but I personally have no experience with it.