Personally I use the 7x57 and 7x65r and think they are perfect for most European hunting. I would add the 7x64. Not much recoil, but than enough energy down range with good bullets.

But here in the UK 3 cartridges out sell all others by a long way:

243 Win - perfect for Roe, Mintjac and Fallow and good enough for Red Deer. Probably out sells all others combined. It’s the min required for deer and the Police Firearms Licencing like minimums and its most will allow as a first rifle. Also works well as a foxing rifle.

270 win - seen as the big rifle. Its the goto calibre for Scottish open mountain type stalking. And was the standard forestry rifle.

308 Win - the all rounder, and now standard for most commercial contractors and many stalkers. Also used as a range gun. And as lead free becomes more used it will be more used.

6.5CM is becoming popular and suspect may overtake 243 and 308 especially as non toxic becomes the norm.