Define "long range" in the context of this comment.
In general, I adamantly disagree with this comment when referring to those who don't live in or close to elk country. Let's say an out of state hunter has 3-5 days to hunt. That hunter doesn't have the luxury of "patience" most of the time.
IMHO, the hunter should carry the most powerful rifle he can shoot accurately and be prepared to take or limit his shots to the range at which he can assure proper placement.
I've shot elk as close as 40 yards and as far as 400 using 7mm RM mag and 300Win mag but can no longer handle those big boomers. My hunting partner used my 25/06 to make a one shot kill @ 354 yards last December proving that under certain conditions, a .28" + magnum is NOT required. Under other circumstances and hunting conditions, I wouldn't even consider such a small caliber for general use.
Call "long range" 350-600+ yards.
Most western hunters do fill the majority of their tags (deer, elk, antelope, javelina, moose, whatever...) at less than 200 yards.
But, most of us also have plenty of 300-400 yard shots in the archives, as well. (I have never met a hunter that doesn't, except for a guy that filled all of his tags from his kitchen window each year.)
On some hunts, the animals, weather, migration timing, whatever it may be, makes for a hunt that may require a longer shot than desirable. But stretching out to 350 yards is substantially different than just saying, "I don't have time to get closer!" and just launching bullets at the first (seemingly) legal animal that's seen a 600+ yards.
Let's say an out of state hunter has 3-5 days to hunt.
Depending upon the state, unit, and season you're hunting, that may be all that
resident hunters get.
There are big game seasons in a couple western states now that are TWO days. That's it. Two days. No one has much time - resident, or not. ...But that doesn't mean that everyone should start sending Hail Marys across the canyons and sage flats, in
hopes of connecting at 800+ yards ... and then trying to figure out how to recover the animal when they realize there's a river or shear cliff in the bottom of the canyon.
Patience is absolutely required, unless you're no longer hunting. If you're just killing animals from the passenger seat of your guide's Toyota, then patience is optional.