RE: Opinions on a new rifle for the wife
With a .243 I wouldn't go with the "managed recoil" ammo, if it even exists for that cartridge. The reason is that the .243 is already on the low end of adequate for deer, so I'd stick with full power 95+ grain loads. The .243's recoil is minimal with full power stuff anyway, as long as the gun is setup right she shouldn't have a problem.
Good luck,
Mike