Some of us older guys who are onthe "back side" of 50 or 60 tend to cotton more to the float trips, but if you're gonna be horsin' and hoofin', more power to you.
As for the caliber, I use the .338 WinMag. Brand is up to your own preference, as long as it hits where you look. I killed a moose years ago with a.280 Rem, and it went down like a ton of bricks, but the .338 has been my "North Country" gun for a long time, now. If you're gonna be hunting among Griz, don't be undergunned.