If it was me, I would look at a Rem model 7... in a smaller caliber of your choice (.243, .257, .260 etc). I think those guns are well suited to young folks.
Another option (if you don' t want to go bolt) might be a NEF single shot rifle. They have a wide variety of caliber' s available, and with the interchangable barrel' s, you can essentially have many guns just by getting a different barrel. They seem to be a decent gun for the money.