I guess the answer to the question is an organic one; it's continually evolving such that the answer last week will not be the answer next year when some poster revives the thread.
It depends on what the shooter has used and his experience with it.
We have had or have the 30-30, 300 Savage, the 308, the 30-06, the 30 Newton, 300 H&H, 300 Bee, 300 Win, the Dakota, 30-378 BeeBad, the 7.82 Patriot, the 7.82 Warbird, the 300 RCM, the 300 RSAUM, the 300 WSM...in no particular order.
Just below this group caliber-wise, and assumed competition, are the 7mm RM, 7mm Weatherby, the 7mm WSM, the 7mm RSAUM, the 7.21 Lazzaroni, 7mm Dakota, the 7 RUM, and the 7.21 Firebird, and the 7.61 Sharpe & Hart.
Just above the 30's dimension-wise but still competing are the 325 WSM, 338 WM, the 340 Bee, the 8mm RM, the 358 Norma, and the 375 H&H and Bee.
This is just a quick listing and doesn't include the wildcats and "improved" cartridges or many metrics just the most quickly remembered and named.
It's why most like a buffet too. There's something for everybody and it doesn't have to always stay the same ..though as that contemporary philosopher of our time, Jerry Seinfeld, has proffered, "not that there's anything wrong with that."
