Great rifle, excellent for what your wanting it for.

Very fine rifle according to what I read
This , I beleive, is a fairly light rifle(weight wise) and may be heavier recoil than you expect, but if carrying all day weight is something to consider especially for a young boy.
If the hunting is more of a "sit & wait" senario, I would suggest a heavier rifle like a Remington BDL or ADL in something like a 270 for the future elk hunts.

I couldnt agree with you more Hammer, but I hunt on the move quite a bit so carrying it is of utmost concern. I have a 270wcf Model 700 Mountain rifle I wanted to give him but I afraid with his stature, he will more than likely develop a flinch and not want to shoot it. I figured this would be a good interim rifle and cartridge. I dont personally have any experience with the 243 but from what Ive read it seems to be quite capable of dispatching mule deer with careful shot placement. My son is only about 70lbs right now and really has no hopes of being a big guy so Im hoping he will be able to shoot this rifle for at least a few years untill hes ready for elk. Hammer, do you or anyone you know have a nice recipe for a 100gr Nosler Partition?

Here's the hottest load for the 243 with 100 grain bullet that I 've seen used.

48 gr H4831 powder(Hodgson)
Velocity....3150 fps
Energy......2200 ft lbs

That's a MAX load. I'd be inclined to start at 45 grs, working up to no higher than 47 grs.
The above data is based on a 22 inch barrel.

If you post in Reload Bench you will get some responses from those More experienced with 243reloads.
It's been soooooo long since I filled a 243 case

Wow! No wonder guys like the 243 for varmits. Well I appreciate the input Hammer, thank you. Im looking forward to playing with the loadings, sounds like their extremely versatile.