Bear Grease and Bees Wax again...

[Boerrancher]

Well I sat on the front deck this morning with the 32cal and burnt up a 1/4 lb of Goex, 20 grs at a time, killing my son's squirrel target at 30 yards. About 1/2 way through the session I though I would try the bear grease lube on the 32cal. It worked well for years in one of my 50cals, and as I had posted in a previous thread that it was an absolute abysmal failure in my 50cal Flinter. In the flinter after 6 shots the fouling was so hard I had to beat the ball down with the rod.

I was surprised that even after already shooting a bunch, that when I switched to the bear grease bees wax mix, from the spit patches I was using, what little fouling was there burnt up, and as I continued to shoot I noticed the loads continuing to get easier to load. I didn't put the bear grease lube on paper, but never missed the squirrel. It got to the point where I had to start shooting strictly at the head to make it a challenge. A head shot makes the squirrel spin instead of just falling over and standing back up like a body shot does. Yeah I would miss every once in a while, but it was not the gun's fault.

I want to know how somethings can work so well in some guns and not work at all in others. I have yet to try something in that 32 cal that causes fouling bad enough that I can't shoot it 30 or 40 times with out swabbing it, and yet I have seen others that after 5 shots you couldn't get a PRB down the thing with a steel rod and a shop hammer because the fouling was so bad. I know that guns are different, but how can there be that much difference and what causes it?

Best wishes,

Joe

[waksupi]

Temperature and humidity has always been my guess.

[mainiac]

I noticed this happening alot years back,and i own/shoot alot of smoke guns.

Ever since i switched to lehigh valley lube,i havent had any issues again.With this lube,i can shoot all day long,and the ball doesnt get any tighter to load.

Think the shenandoah lube is almost as good as the old LHV,which cant be bought anymore,,what a shame.

When i use a grease type lube,for hunting purposes,i have some guns that shoot many balls without needing a wipe patch,and a few that gets bound up and tight in as few as 4-5 shots.

Wish i knew why this happens,as well as you...........

[Boerrancher]

Temperature and humidity has always been my guess.

I thought that as well, but for (edit) and Grins I have played with it in virtually every kind of weather, humidity, and temp we have had here for the last 3 months and 5 rounds is all I could ever get out of it with the bear grease. One of my other 50cals shoots it like a dream just like a spit patch, and now my 32 does the same. It will be a great advantage to be able to leave the gun loaded a day or two if I have a hunt that doesn't provide a squirrel to shoot at.

Best wishes,

Joe

[2571]

"A head shot makes the squirrel spin instead of just falling over and standing back up like a body shot does"

My dad always tried to shoot sq in the left eye. Said it was better than any other spot.

[stubshaft]

LHV and alot of old time lubes used mutton tallow which is no longer available. Dixie has had it on BO for years and since there is no one in my area that butchers sheep I can't get any caul fat to render some.

Since there are no bears here that is out too...

[Boerrancher]

Since there are no bears here that is out too...

Do a search for Bear Grease water proofing and lube, there are lots of places that carry it. It is not that expensive and a tin will last forever.

Best wishes Joe

[Mike Brooks]

50/50 bear oil and deer tallow is a good lube. I generally use the pleasant smelling yellow lubes with great results. Dry days I use more lube.....no problemo.

[451 Pete]

Joe,

Just a thought. Some things that will work for a patch lube will also perform as a solvent to break down or soften fouling and other lubes like the Bear Grease is water proof. Now if you have a rifle that has deep rifling grooves the rifling would necessarily hold more fouling in the bore than in the barrel having shallow rifling grooves. I wonder if it is the combination of this additional fouling and a non solvent type lube that is what is causing the bore to foul out quicker making it harder to load. It might be something for you to check and a possible reason some rifles will load and shoot with your Bear Grease and others will not.

Take care .... Pete

[Boerrancher]

You may have something there Pete, that I never gave the rifling depth a thought. My Crockett has really deep rifling, which is probably why I can shoot a 1/4 lb of powder through it and not have any loading or accuracy problems.

Best wishes,

Joe

[smokemjoe]

I used netfeets oil for years, I have bear oil but nefeets worked in temp. Joe