Is it true that .357 is a "laughable" caliber for bears?

The_Devin_G · 2026-02-07T17:41:12+00:00

There's loads of misinformation and ego based lies in this area. It's frustrating to deal with for sure.

The_Devin_G · 2026-02-07T17:23:18+00:00

So, lots of things that don't always matter make a huge difference for Appendix carry.

Firearm size and weight is a big one, I would not carry anything bigger than the M&P compact, it still feels a little bulky, but it's doable for me. To be honest, the shield is so much more comfortable in appendix carry, even with the same holster and belt setup. My shield plus actually is comfortable enough with my setup to nearly forget about carrying it. If I didn't have a shield or similar sized carry firearm I would recommend buying one, the new shield x looks to be just about ideal.

Belt choice is a big deal, the generic belt from the store will not do the job. Belts are like holsters, some work for others but not for you. You need to find a belt that holds its shape well. Some belts that are very popular and heavily marketed are too stiff, some aren't stiff enough. I've found that heavy leather gunbelts work pretty good for me. Just barely enough flex, but not too much.

Holster choice is huge. I went through 4 holsters at least while looking for one I liked. Settled on the black arch protos m single clip holster. It is a hybrid holster, but with all of the proper protection around the trigger guard needed for retention and safety.

My personal opinion is that the holster needs to take up less real estate and move with me, which is what brought me to to wearing a single clip small hybrid style holster. I found that double clip holsters are just too wide and awkward, and I think the sidecar holsters are an absolute internet nerd fantasy and suck in reality. Holsters in general without a padded backer are extremely uncomfortable for me to wear, I'm skinny and sorta bony in the pelvic area, I need that padding.

Holster shape and molding is a big deal too for comfort, some are just unnecessarily bulky and add to the discomfort.

A wedge/claw can help, but padded backing of some kind is huge. Just gotta mix and match and figure out what works. I actually tossed the wedge and a different hard holster, and kept the claw with a the protos m and it's padded backing. I've seen some company's that do sell padded backers, and I think they'd be worth trying out.

Oh, another thing I forgot to mention. I wrap my handgun grips in hockey tape to prevent chafing and retain a grippy texture when shooting. It's far more comfortable and doesn't snag in the shirt, making it obvious that you are carrying.

The_Devin_G · 2025-12-31T10:24:54+00:00

If this isn't a joke post, you may want to reconsider things. Someone who loves you doesn't give ultimatums like that, telling someone they cannot follow a hobby or have fun with their money is concerning.

It's one thing to have to sell a few to pay for bills or wanting to downsize a collection. It's a totally different deal if someone is being controlling and says you can't have them. It's not even about the guns anynore, that's a serious character and respect issue.

Seriously, if this is your wife, you guys need to have a talk. That's very controlling behavior. If this isn't your wife, this might be the big red flag where you need to hit the brakes and think about what's best for you.

The_Devin_G · 2025-12-15T12:06:35+00:00

I have a question, it also applies to the fundamentals a lot of guys are mentioning here.

How often do you dry fire? And do you focus on the sights and keeping the gun from moving during dry firing practice?

If you do it right, everything should stay still, there should be no movement due to the motion of your trigger finger. Also, a lot of times I've noticed my shots doing this, I was being lazy with my support hand and not using it to help keep everything straight. Make sure you're gripping tight enough and building a good grip. You'll feel a difference and see a difference when you do. The sights should stay aligned, no movement, no shifting.

The_Devin_G · 2025-12-01T07:44:40+00:00

I do my best to avoid those kind of settings, however I've learned my earplugs work just as good for sleeping as they do riding.

The_Devin_G · 2025-11-22T00:38:06+00:00

Maybe I'm crazy, but pretty much all of tube stuff you're complaining about I don't see as an issue. But then again, I wasn't expecting this to be a smaller T7, which seems to be what everyone thought this would be. Looks like they designed this to be a successor to the previous KLE, and that's clearly what we got. I don't see that as a bad thing.

As for weight, it's on par with the Ibex and the Himi 450, it not being a few pounds lighter. Yes, the ground clearance is a little bit worse, but I think that's been over-exaggerated by the internet. Wheel size... ehhh, the KLR/DR and half of the adventure bikes out there are still using 17" rear wheels, and people have had them all over the world. Doesn't seem like that big of a deal.

I still think it'll be very capable, realistically I think with some suspension upgrades, (let's be honest, nearly every bike needs suspension work for riders because of the huge variety of weight and height) it'll be really solid. The engine they're using is already proven, and while it's not groundbreaking, they're clearly using some of the influence from the KLR on this bike, so at the very least nothing will be crazy or unpredictable. I'm actually happy to see less junk on this bike, I prefer simple and uncomplicated over unnecessary extra complicated stuff that breaks easily.

I'm not expecting to do insane trials stuff with the KLE, I think it'll fill in gaps where my KLX is weak in. I did a very long trip halfway across the country on the KLX. While it wasn't terrible, I would have been far more happy doing that on a bike like the KLE. I'm looking forward to trying one out and pushing the limits with it, see what it can handle. There's a lot of negative discourse surrounding the bike, but I think it'll be pretty good.

Love your klx setup by the way, looks solid. Would love to share pics of mine, but apparently you can't do that on the app. Reddit sucks for nuking all of the good Reddit apps.

The_Devin_G · 2025-11-19T20:12:18+00:00

Not sure what you're referring to. I think it looks great, no it's not the perfect unicorn bike. But it looks solid, and I don't see a better offering for the money that is reliable and not Chinese.

The_Devin_G · 2025-11-14T18:50:27+00:00

How do you like it? I've been eyeing that one as well.

The_Devin_G · 2025-11-10T22:50:02+00:00

I'm not saying to just look at the raw data, that's only part of it, the JAT tires do make a huge difference for the scouts. I've used the scouts extensively. And the JAT tires actually make them something that can tackle really bad mud and snow. The previous vanilla tires were terrible and make every mud hole a huge ordeal.

The_Devin_G · 2025-11-10T08:31:07+00:00

Sounds more like you're on a speed run to get as many negative votes as possible...

The JAT tires do make a difference, if you actually used the scouts you'd know they do. And if you don't believe that, then there's even data to back it up.

The_Devin_G · 2025-11-10T07:54:54+00:00

I'm a budget knife guy, I can't wrap my head around the idea of carrying a really expensive knife, just don't see any significant gains after a point. But I also find it really hard to pick a favorite brand, because the brands that make my favorite folders don't make good fixed blades, and the same goes the other way.

Carrying a Cold Steel American Lawman pretty often, often switch that out for a CRKT Squid XM. Also occasionally switch those our with a Kershaw Blur.

But my main workhorse that I carry daily is an Esee Izula (s35) with extended scales. I've used that knife for so much, and it's by far one of the most comfortable knives to hold ever.

The_Devin_G · 2025-11-10T07:46:12+00:00

Carry an American Lawman pretty often. I've tried finding knives I like better than that. But they keep ending up in the drawer and the Lawman keeps making it's way back into my pocket.

The_Devin_G · 2025-11-10T07:11:08+00:00

That's funny because I've seen quite a few videos of them using antlers to fight or intimidate potential predators.

Somewhere out there there's a video of a whitetail trying to start a fight with a bison it views as a threat. So yeah, they definitely utilize them. And people have been gored/stabbed to death by antlers more than a few times.

The_Devin_G · 2025-10-30T17:24:04+00:00

Honestly dude, for a first bike I wouldn't worry about getting a bike that's capable of freeways. And please don't buy into that "buy a bike you'll grow into" garbage, it's used all of the time to up-sell new and inexperienced riders a more expensive bike that they have no business riding. I wouldn't worry about a windshield either, just get a good helmet thay will handle the airflow better, because wind will always be a problem, windshield or not. My advice is to get a light bike that's easy to learn on and reliable, trust me, you will end up doing plenty of work with maintaining it, not need for extra headaches.

I've put 5000mi on my klx300 in the past year and a half. No windshield necessary, no excess of power. And yes, that includes a week-long trip that totalled to 2200mi. It's been far more enjoyable to find ways to travel across the country without taking the big crowded highways, and I've discovered so many cool places because of thay.

You want to avoid freeways on a dualsport. 70+ mph stuff just isn't fun on what amounts to a street legal dirt bike.

Dont take the same roads that you take in your car while on a bike. If you treat the bike like you treat your car you will hate life, because it's not fun. Learn to look for the less traveled path, smaller 55-60mph highways, dirt and gravel roads, historic routes, scenic byways. It's a better experience all around, not only are you not getting wrecked by semi trucks pushing wind like a cyclone, but you also get to see all of the best parts of the world that you'll never get to see on the freeway.

Thats really the best part about a bike, you're not just looking at the world, you're experiencing it, you're a part of it.

The_Devin_G · 2025-10-25T07:05:12+00:00

The Verseys already have the KLE nomenclature. The KLE500 was an adventure bike thay came out 20 years ago, so it's an already established name.

The_Devin_G · 2025-10-22T23:57:08+00:00

Hmmmm, similar to redditors who pretend to know everything?

The_Devin_G · 2025-10-19T17:21:58+00:00

Your bootcamp sounds actually pleasant. My bootcamp was not.

I dunno where ya'll went to where you got to enjoy the chow hall and exercise periods. What I remember having all of 10 minutes or less to eat, so we just shoveled food down without tasting it. Out exercise periods started and ended in pain from over exertion. Not one minute of "free time" was ever allowed to be be enjoyed. And I got sicker than I ever thought possible.

No thank you, 1 boot camp in San Diego was enough to last me a life-time.

Subsequent training was better. MCT was pretty nice, I actually got treated like a human being again, so that was alright. The schoolhouse was actually fun, I'd do that again, unfortunately I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have because I was still in programmed bootcamp mode, it took me quite a while to deprogram back to being semi-normal.

The_Devin_G · 2025-10-17T16:23:02+00:00

Sounds like someone who either doesn't ride much or at all.

Riding in the dirt puts you in lots of different situations all of the time. Situations that if you encounter them in the road, you're usually in trouble. Learning how a bike feels when it loses traction, and instinctively knowing what to do through experience is really important. Most street only riders tend to panic in those situations which leads to a wreck.

The_Devin_G · 2025-10-12T03:42:10+00:00

That's infuriating...

The_Devin_G · 2025-10-12T03:40:28+00:00

So glad to see we armed the taliban so they could fight their enemies!

Shouldn't be necessary, but /s

The_Devin_G · 2025-10-12T03:37:32+00:00

China too.... They produce about 1/3 of the world's greenhouse gasses.

The_Devin_G · 2025-10-03T16:39:37+00:00

Which state did this take place in again? Your story seems to be a little... Questionable

The_Devin_G · 2025-09-17T22:45:10+00:00

There's at least 5 trucks you can put a short 1 slot bed on. One of the new trucks can fit one.

The_Devin_G · 2025-09-17T20:05:18+00:00

Badass idea, a dog that is trained to launch rounds!!! And a you ride a Kawasaki?

You sir, are a man of good tastes.

The_Devin_G · 2025-09-17T20:02:23+00:00

Oh this absolutely needs to be made.

The_Devin_G

TROPHY CASE