Welcome e_slip! I can't add anything to what the others have said about brush busting calibers - - there just ain't none. Big slow moving bullets deflect less than small fast moving ones, but they all deflect.
I want to take a different tack here. My guess is that you aren't a reloader, and aren't going to become one anytime soon. If this is the case I would stay well away from the newer whizz-bang magnums that are coming out. Ammo for these will never be as abundant as it is for the .30-06 or the .270, nor as affordable. What others have said about recoil is also worth thinking about. The .243 is very mild; the .270 and the .30-06 are much more noticeable, and the .30 magnums can be quite unpleasant for many folks. Those of us from Minnesota would say, "Uff da!"[:@] If you must have a magnum, get a good recoil pad, and get a PAST shoulder pad for the range. These are worth every nickel, even if you shoot .30-06 class calibers.
If you stick with the .30-06 or the .270 you will have enough power for most of the critters you are likely to encounter. If I were to tackle a moose I would prefer the .30-06 over the .270 with heavier bullets (but pigs will fly before I ever get to hunt moose.
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As for rifles, most of the offerings out there are pretty good these days. Since it is a well documented fact that "Minnesota" is a Lakota Souix word for "Gawdawful Weather," I would recommend a synthetic stock and quite possibly stainless steel. You won't be disappointed in a Savage, a Ruger M77 MkII stainless, or a Remington 700.
Good luck, and let us know what you decide on.