Originally: "....I am planning on going on an elk hunt next year with my dad and i dont have a rifle. I am looking for a caliber to kill elk and maybe some day bear. My dad has a 300 weatherby and i have shot that with no problem the recoil does not bother me. I just dont want to spend $1500 for a rifle i would be willing to spend $1000.00...."
For a first time and "only for big game" rifle (ignoring deer as a material consideration)....
-- Easy Going: 30-06 or 7mmRemMag
-- More Aggressive: 300WinMag
-- Gutsy: 300 Weatherby, 300RUM, 338WinMag
My choice would be the 30-06. Though the 375 H&H (recommended earlier) is a favorite of mine, I'd be hard pressed to ever recommend it to someone as their first big game rifle.
Manufacturer: Go with the one you like and the one that fits you best per a pro who knows (No Remington 710's) and remember the more recoil the heavier the rifle needs to be (shy of a specialty item and that is not what is at play here.) I make no distinction between foreign or domestic manufacture of a firearm, Japanese Weatherbys or Slovakian CZ's or US Winchesters or Remingtons; get what you want and let the country of origin fall where it may.