Part of it is the heavier wood stock, it absorbs recoil. A M1903 is fun to shoot alongside a Garand, especially if you
have stripper clips to load it, a bit more interaction with the bolt than vs. a semi-auto.
But yeah, they are tons of fun. It's a bit heavy for younger kids, but once they hit 12 or so, they can handle a Garand and they just love the sound it makes and the thud and impact on metal targets 100-200 yards out with iron sites.
It's so much fun.