Yes the 7mm-08 in 140 grn nos. would do the job quite nicely. As long as the lad is comftorable with the rifle. As EKM mentioned, see which rifles that fit him best and can handle the recoil then make a choice. If he' s got a sincere desire to hunt and isn' t being pushed into it, I' d work with him and find a rifle that fits him best and get him out there. elknut1