Depends on what that particular rifle "likes" in terms of bullet weight. There are a variety of loads available, with the heavier bullets being entirely suitable for whitetail deer and other similar game animals.
There are a number of "youth model" hunting rifles available, often chambered for .243 (which is just a necked-down .308 Winchester).
With the lighter-weight projectiles, the .243 is a superb cartridge for tougher varmints, such as coyotes.
My first high-powered rifle was a Remington 788 in .243. Wish I still had it, but I foolishly traded the plain-Jane (but accurate) rifle in and bought something shinier.
I'm curious... how long after the return of your gun case was it that you discovered the contents had, er, changed?
The house fire was in 93. I didn't even open the case of the rifle until shortly after 9/11.
There were health issues involved that wouldn't allow me to hunt anymore that I thought I should mention.