For me personally, I don't believe there is any such thing as a "classic bolt action". A Ruger #1 is hard to beat but, as others have suggested, it's a bit heavy for a youngster. A good choice would be a Browning 78 in .243. It's a true classic action (highwall), is not terribly heavy, and youngsters (and oldsters for that matter) should learn to hunt with a single shot so they learn to make the first one count. I'm not real fond of useing varmint calibers on deer but the .243 is adequate and the recoil is such that a kid can shoot it comfortably.
