You haven’t mentioned if you hand load. If you do, that broadens the possibilities greatly - it’s very easy to throttle back “.30-06 class” cartridges into low recoiling rounds.
If you’re using factory loads, the preceding recommendations are good. Don’t forget to make sure the rifle fits the user re: stock length, height of comb, positioning of the scope, etc. Even a minor calibers recoil will feel uncomfortable if the rifle doesn’t fit the shooter.
Does he like iron sights? If he does, something like a Model 38 Swede in 6.5x55 might fill the bill. If you want to go all out, a Remington Model 7 ‘youth’ might be appropriate. (Don’t count on selling it when he gets bigger though, once they’ve shot something with it, it’s theirs forever! I’ve learned that very expensive lesson!)
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