22-rimfire
New member
I'd let the kid decide and just look over their shoulder. When I was 15, I was very focused on accuracy (bullet placement) and went with a 243 for its versatility (vamints to deer sized game). Yes, I bought my own rifle. If you don't seat a 243 rifle right on your shoulder, it can hurt too with a couple of rounds. A couple of years later, I bumped up to the 270 win. Been there ever since. If the kid can shoot a shotgun, he can handle 270>308>30-06.