Adam I have posted on here somewhere
somewhere close to this if I remember right
.243 with a 100gr is around 12 ft lbs of recoil
7mm-08 with 140gr 13 ft lbs of recoil
.308 with 150gr is 15 lbs.
30/06 & .270 is 18-20 ft lbs recoil.
I've been shooting a 7mm-08 since '91, Both my boys & wife shoot it. We own 5 of them. At 6 years old all the above will thump him unless he's 110lb 6 year old. I trained labs for blood trailing for a loooong time & have been on a many of blood trail. You could'nt take a .243 melt it down & pour it on me! Kids don't always make good shot's on deer & a .243 is a little light if the shot is bad placement. That's my opinion with a little trailing experience backing that up. Also believe a .308 is little much on the backend for smaller children & women who haven't shot much. Take a close look at the 7mm-08, now with that said different makes & models in the 708 are going to kick more than others. That's with any guns.
708 has more thump on the target end than a .243 & only a couple tenths of an inch difference at 300 yards.
.308 diehard shooters don't like this or won't agree with it but if you check out the ballistics it has better ballistics than the .308 & is right on the heels of the .270 without the recoil.