30-06, problem solved. It will and has handled everything in North America that can be legally hunted and it has also been used on game up to elephant in Africa with a 220 gr solid. While I wouldn't recommend it for heavy dangerous game like elephant, rhino or Cape Buffalo it has been used for game like that.
Plus, the 30-06 is still capable of cleanly killing game at 300+ yards, ammo is easy to find and most people can shoot it well. Those advocating a 45-70 most likely haven't tried to shoot one at 300 yards. It drops like a rock! While a lot of whitetail hunting can be a short range affair, if you hunt them on the plains they can need a long shot and elk are often shot at 200-300 yards. Like it or not, that has to be factored in since the OP specifically mentions both elk and moose.
Last edited by flags; 03-04-2014 at 08:04 AM.