Nice bulls but sounds like your buddy needs to take shorter shots if he is hitting the wrong elk 
Distance of the shot had nothing to do with shooting the wrong bull! Its a mistake that anyone could have made especially when you know that if you look at head and horn rather than focusing on vitals and making a clean kill shot you will loose your nerves and make a bad shot.
Every year I hear story's of someone shooting the wrong buck or bull you think that would never happen to me until it does and you realize its not that hard to do!
Thanks Everyone It was a great year all the way around for my friends and family we were fortunate enough to draw a pile of quality tags and took some true trophy's this year