The trip isn't set in stone yet, but I was told under 15 by a guy who hunted colorado.
The shot is going to depend on how you hunt.....and if its OTC or a limited draw. If you are running/gunning/calling....then watch a bunch of those Born and Raised or Elk 101 vids to give you a good idea of what your shots will be like. I would say that as its not just the distance but also the terrain.
Calling elk creates a particular set of circumstances; the bull is actively looking for you and sometimes they really don't want to expose themselves.Many times you only have a small window to shoot....and other times you only have a split second to get off a good shot. [a lot of the bad shots you will see were because the bowhunter let the bull stare at them too long....and then the bull reacts to the bow going off wrecking shot location.]
If its one thing you can count on....Not everyone agrees on what makes for a good BH. A guy has a couple successes with a brand/design and they become a fan.
My take on BH's after seeing a pile of elk die to an arrow. Think of your arrow and BH as a system. Where just about any arrow system- the combination of arrow weight and BH- works on thin skinned game like deer.....Elk are a whole different situation.This is obvious to most but its worth repeating..... Elk are big heavy thick hided critters. Seems obvious but we see the video guys shooting light setups that cannot punch through an elk.
Elk have a way of exposing the flaws in your setup. A light arrow with a large mech head can work.....but more often than not this system will be exposed as being too puny for elk. A fairly heavy arrow, [450-550gr] with perfect arrow flight [tuned for BH's] and a strong efficient design BH work exceptionally well to get the extra penetration you need on elk. There is a wide range of this type of setup that works.
More specific; I have seen an advantage to a strong Tapered cut on contact BH design. Many good ones in either 2 or 3 blade. If you want inexpensive take a look at the 2 blade Magnus stinger or Buzzcut. If you want solid one piece of good steel take a look at VPA.There are many other good options that are reusable like these which lowers your cost for BH's. Not only are these heads penetrating monsters that will get to something vital when other designs won't.....but they have the added advantage of going through the animal so fast that many times they don't even know they were hit! All bets are off with any setup if the animal spots you and you get in a staring match....then you had better be really close.
Its a big advantage to have an elk standing there unaware bleeding out......vs a bull that was just 'KERPLUNKED" with a mech head spooking them over the continental divide. Even some of the short fixed heads give you that watermelon kerplunk....plus those designs put the thin blades in contact with heavy hair and hide on the way in....not really what you want if you want your BH sharp through the animal. The tapered COC designs slide in with little hide contact.
Now if after all they you still want to shoot a less efficient BH design...fine, just make sure your arrow system maxes out the penetration of those heads [ie- a heavy arrow]....you still have to BH tune....AND adjust your shot selection. You pretty much want to follow this advice anyway with elk /grin...but the point is; an arrow with very high penetration potential gives you a little more leeway on shot selection.
