All quite interesting and some nice points made.
There is a big disconnect between the certification rules and the operational rules. Certification does not require any range information to be in the 'approved' section of the flight manual, (in fact the latest FAA Rotorcraft Handbook doesn't even mention range and endurance in the performance section). But the operations side will, at a minimum, look badly at anyone who runs out of fuel.
Not only that, but as we know, it is always a headwind, and probably stronger than forecast.
The solution I would propose is to fit your aircraft with a fuel flow system, hook it up to your GPS and learn how to use it.