There is no way I am notching my tag if I don't recover the animal. For one, you are attesting to having taken the animal by doing so and if you haven't recovered it, you haven't confirmed the taking. I will look all day for it but if isn't recovered, I will continue to hunt.
I hunt a very crowded OTC unit in CO. I will shoot the first legal elk in range. I have too much invested to drive 18 hours home with no meat in the coolers.
I would be cautious with expandables. Your arrow is a little slow for solid opening of a mechanical. I had an issue with that when I went to a heavier arrow and kept Rage Trypan for a year. Moving to a COC non-mechanical was much better for me.
The Gunfighters Inc, Kenai is the best option out there. It stays on you when you take your pack off and when you take your bino pouch off. How many wear a pack or bino harness when quartering an animal? A firearm not on you in bear country is not worth much. Ask the elk guide killed outside...
12 gauge Benelli SBE 2 (3.5") or M2 (3") will do all you need.
Personally I own 1 SBE 2 and 1 M2 and an Ultralight and a Cordoba all in 12 gauge.
If you get the "benelli click" is it you, not the gun.
I would go with the 3.5" SBE 2 because it allows for all sizes of 12 gauge, but the M2...
Colorado is just east california now. It is nearly completely lost. You can thank the uber libs in Denver, Boulder, Vail, Crested Butte, etc.
Colorado is ******.