I would definitely take up mxgsfmdpx offer too. I don't know him personally but from what I've seen here on the forum he seems like an experienced AZ hunter and I would jump at the opportunity.
Oh you should be good for 600 with a 12 power, for me I would say 10 power is about what I would prefer for a 600yd shot, I know others would say even less is needed.
I really respect you limiting yourself to 300yds in AZ, but I would work on getting comfortable at double that distance. It's not that anyone necessarily needs to shoot that far, but you'll definitely be presented with the option for more 3-600 yard shots in my limited experience.
I've worn the esc forest for about 6 months now in the AZ desert, and while I can't say for sure whether or not I've stomped through a bunch cactus, I have bushwhacked probably 20+ miles off trail without experiencing punctures in central AZ.
I just picked up one of these in .308 with the 20in barrel. I haven't shot it yet, but was definitely concerned about the cycling when I read this thread. I test cycled multiple rounds through it repeatedly this morning and everything appears good on mine. Curious to see how this turns out.
Nice videos, thanks for sharing! This type of content is invaluable for someone like myself who didn't grow up in a hunting family. If you ever want company in Arizona I'd gladly tag along and swing a camera.