I'm a little late to this discussion,, but my favorite is the 8x57, especially paired with a 16 bore. I live and hunt in the east, in and around the Appalachians. It's prety much thick woods for whitetails, bears, turkeys, squirrels, woodcock, goundhogs, the occasional rabbit, fox and coyote. For me the 8x57 in either J or S is about perfect. I have cast loads for 120 and 170 grains. I have 125, 150, 170 ,190-6 soft points, and 196 grain solids. I've managed over the years to get them to shoot to sights at the ranges I use them at. To top them off, I have a Hammond Game getter for both bore sizes, or I can use 5 grains of Unique under a .321 or .323 buck shot for a rabbit in the garden.
My 8x57/16 combination grew up in Africa, before she came to me, and accounted for a pretty long list of what we now call plains game and a lot of leopards. If I ever get back, she will be with me.
I've had flirtations with a lot of other combination and drilling rifle cartridges, but I like the 8x57 best.
Bfly
