In my testing while radar ranging helps, you do need to be in the right ballpark QFE setting. Or else you end up with the targeting symbology way off the actual impact poing, or maybe not even on the HUD. At least as it's currently implemented in DCS.
But I do agree that people do sometimes seem to focus too much on the "need QFE and plaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanning" side of things. and completely forgets about things like carrying 4 mavs, or mavs + gunpods.