In the "storied caliber" world the 7x57 and 7x64 are awesome choices that can be found in very attractive vintage and custom rifles.
In the "affordable and American" options a 7 rem mag and the 280 are really good calibers.
In the "mid-priced and vintage" category a pre-64 winchester model 70 in 300HH is an elk slayer of first order that shoots a myriad of bullet weights with more class and less recoil than the 300winmag that is so popular amongst elk hunters.
As to optics, I have no desire to sit at a bench all day, nor do I have a desire to take that same gun in a benchrest style stock and shoot elk prone at 800 yards. Therefore, I'm interested in stalking rifles with practical geometries and reasonable scopes. A 1-8x24mm swarovski, a 3-9x36mm swarovski ($3000 and $650 respectively) are probably two of the finest optics ever made for shots inside 400 yards. Put them in low rings and you have a lightweight package to get you through the timber to take an elk.
P.S. - All the above combinations are wholly acceptable for plains game safaris, black bear, wild boar, and about anything else smaller than a bison/buffalo/brown bear.
