Red Angus x Char, Blk Angus x Char, Herf X Char and my favourite, Shorthorn x Char, all make great medium F1 cows if they're coming out of decent stock. I don't think your friend will be sorry with those RA x C heifers.
Honey's dad started out with that old standard britisher, Horned Hereford cows, and when contenintals became available he crossed them to Char bulls.
Those thick broody cows that could really lay the fat to their calves. and has he ever raised some cracking calves over the years, especially when those F1 cows were bred Char or Sim.
As a matter of fact, one of those cows raised a calf that was born on Feb.11 and weighed 1100lbs even when it was sold in early November of the same year.
No creep, just Peace Country grass and momma's milk. The old folks still have that sale receipt - they get a chuckle out of remembering arguing with the auction staff that the calf was NOT a yearling. ;-)
Take care.