John,

Quote " ....At 800 yds 2208 fps 1623 ft.lbs. About the same as a 30-30 at 100yds ..."

100 yard 30-30 power at impact?
From half a mile away?
For elk?

It needs to be a one shot kill (even though power wise that doesn' t sound like a one shot kill recipe). After your new converts hike 800 yards over hill and over dale it is highly unlikely that they will ever find the spot the elk was standing when it was hit unless he is laying right there. Sounds like all or nothing.

I think you missed him. Naw, I just creased him a little. Well he sure ran off, we better go down and check it out. Are you kidding? It' s half a mile down there with a 350' drop and worse coming back especially packing all this equipment. You know we aren' t going to find anything. You can go down there if you want. I' m staying right here. Yeahhhh, I guess you' re right. Well, you need to do better on the next one though! Okay.

Regretably human nature is to take the course of least resistance. Ethics become hazy and compromised in the face of a two hour, low probability shot follow up at 800am on the opening day.

Interesting, but no thanks.

Never Go Undergunned,
EKM