I’ve been hunting for 23 years now so am somewhere in the chasm between rookie and veteran. My first rifle was a well used hand me down Savage 99 EG in .300 Savage. I used it to take several deer over the years. I eventually gravitated towards the .243 and .308 Winchester rounds until I thought I needed a bazooka. Used an 8mm Rem Mag for a few years until selling it. It kicked like a mule. I inherited a .25-06 Remington and bought a .30-06 Springfield. The .30-06 is my favorite rifle and cartridge to this day.
I have bought and borrowed many others over the years but always find myself reaching for the .25-06 or .30-06 for 90% of my hunting needs.
