By coincidence a young man I've know for several years recently posted on another site about his 25 year reunion with his first deer rifle. When he was 10 his dad gave him a 243 rifle and he killed his first deer with it, He's 35 now and decided to take it out of the safe and use it, He did get a nice buck with it and said it brought back a lot of memories. He has killed dozens of nice bucks over the years with both rifle and bow, but breaking out the first gun and using it 25 years later was special to him.
Only reason I recommended a 30-30 is not only is the recoil mild but you never "outgrow" a 30-30. But perhaps you never outgrow any gun that brought you your first deer.
Mark 1:17 ...I will make you fishers of men