smokepole----It was Townsend Whelen, and 1500 is not an even number. I have killed several elk with an muzzleloader none over 100 yards. Let alone 600 or 700. I know you are dissing the energy recommendation, however there is more than just energy necessary for a long range hit. And the variables increase with distance. The state of Colorado references these numbers today in a great discussion regarding caliber choices, as do many current hunting and shooting articles, they are a guide just like caliber restrictions, nothing will ever be perfect,
I don't think it's a good idea to conflate recommendations with legal restrictions with ethics. None are expressions of reality, but rather, they are values that humans have created that are distinct from reality, and thus are fluid and arbitrary.
