bear grease

[mainiac]

Ive always read about using bear grease for the patch lube.

Well, today i cooked down a big kettle of it.I had just enough brains to do it on the deck,on the side burner on the grill.
Glad i did because this stuff stinks! The wife,( AKA "secatary of defense") surely would have killed me if i did this in the kitchen!

Guess i got a life time supply of it now. Its gonna have to be some amazing, to beat the lehigh/shenandoah lube that ive used for a long while. Guess it makes good leather conditioner as well.

Question, will this stuff have a bad odor,once its set up?

[5shotbfr]

i wonder if you could just can it in small jars for storage ? or maybe just freeze it if you have enough freezer room .

[waksupi]

I keep my cooking grade in the freezer. I have one container in the shop for lube, and thread tapping. It's been there at least 15 years. Has a slight odor, but nothing real bad.

[OnHoPr]

Just an idea, you might be able to can it in half pint or pint jars.

[Junior1942]

About a minute in a microwave oven will kill the bacteria which cause the odor.

[mainiac]

Well, i just brought it in from outside on the deck.Hardly no smell to it.

Has bear grease been used for boolit lube,or should i say,is it a good addition to boolit lube?

[waksupi]

I have used it for patch lube. It would be okay if you only shot when necessary, like the old timers. If you want to go out and shoot a long string though, I found it fouled the barrel fairly soon. Same thing with whale oil.

[mainiac]

I have used it for patch lube. It would be okay if you only shot when necessary, like the old timers. If you want to go out and shoot a long string though, I found it fouled the barrel fairly soon. Same thing with whale oil.

Thanks for the info,,this is what i was wondering. With the lvl,or svl,,i can shoot all morning,without wiping.I was hoping that the bear grease would be similar,,,guess not. Im gonna give it a try anyways.

Did the ol-timers use bear grease? Must have been documented somewheres????

[aa1911]

I have a can still that is well over 10 years old, no strong odor, just separates a tad.

used it for years for patch lube in our .50's and it's pretty good; not the best but since I've got a lard can about half full still, that's about all I use really.

nice to see someone else using bear grease though, I thought I might be the only hill billy that had the stuff! hahaa!

put it on my boots for a while until I discovered that it penetrates TOO well and makes boot leather way too soft. Greaty for gloves or just rubbing on your hands, old timers would use the stuff to help with arthritis.

I hope to get another bear this year, if so I might offload the old grease to make room for some fresh stuff.

[waksupi]

Thanks for the info,,this is what i was wondering. With the lvl,or svl,,i can shoot all morning,without wiping.I was hoping that the bear grease would be similar,,,guess not. Im gonna give it a try anyways.

Did the ol-timers use bear grease? Must have been documented somewheres????


I have seen it mentioned in many old journals.

[Junior1942]

In the early 1700s here in north Louisiana there was a thriving bear oil business of gathering it and shipping it down river to New Orleans in big clay pots. They used it for lots of things--cooking oil, hair oil, oil lanterns, gear oil, etc.

[gnoahhh]

If any of you bear grease guys can part with a Skoal tin-sized amount, I would be happy to pay you whatever you want for it. I'm down to my last of it, and am not a bear hunter.

I normally use spit patches for target shooting, but I like bear grease for lubing patches that I hunt with. The last batch I got from a guy 14 years ago, and its taken me that long to use up two Skoal tins full of it.

I kept it in the Skoal tins, sealed in zip lock baggies, in the fridge. No smell, no degradation.

[waksupi]

If any of you bear grease guys can part with a Skoal tin-sized amount, I would be happy to pay you whatever you want for it. I'm down to my last of it, and am not a bear hunter.

I normally use spit patches for target shooting, but I like bear grease for lubing patches that I hunt with. The last batch I got from a guy 14 years ago, and its taken me that long to use up two Skoal tins full of it.

I kept it in the Skoal tins, sealed in zip lock baggies, in the fridge. No smell, no degradation.


Just buy some pure lard at the grocery store. It will work exactly the same.

[SamTexas49]

Just buy some pure lard at the grocery store. It will work exactly the same.

The Bears will appreciate it too !:happy dance:

[Boerrancher]

I have used a 50/50 mix of bear grease and bee's wax for years as a lube for my first patch on my 50 cal rifles. I have used lard, crisco, possum grease, deer and beef tallow, and even rendered out some squirrel fat. It all works about the same, giving around six consecutive shots before having to swab the bore. I never noticed a POA or accuracy change when changing lube. When I run out of bear grease, I will fill the tin with what ever is handy for a first load hunting lube, as none of my guns seem to care what the patch is lubed with for the first shot, then any follow up loads are spit patch, because I have to clean the gun anyway.

Best wishes,

Joe

[mainiac]

I was able to shoot the bear fat sunday. Used my .54 with 110 grs ff goex. Shot 18 balls and the last one loaded as easy as the first. PLus,all the patches from ball number 4 threw 18,had the same color,,this tells me that the bore was very consistant. I didnt benchrest the load,but i shot at least as well as i ever do off-hand,maybe a hair better???

BTW, What i was using might be better described as bear oil,,,,it was from the top of the mason jar, and it was very runny/loose after 3-4 days sitting. It kinda dripped onto my patching,When i was done shooting the rifle, it was very slippery.That oil/grease was all over everything.My hands felt like they did back when i was shearing sheep!!!

O YAH,,, the bore cleaned up very easily as well..Think the bear stuff might become my new favorite lube. It was low humidity day,with red streaks all threw the bore and pan,and it still loaded easily,,,,,yup i am impressed.

[fouronesix]

I had a quart jar of it in the fridge for years. Actually, the bad smell may depend on the bear, the bear's diet or how soon the fat was removed or how well or how soon the donor bear was handled/ "cleaned". The stuff I rendered had little if any odor. And yes, I think what most folks call bear "grease" as for patch lube or cooking or leather dressing is rendered bear fat- just as you did. And yes, it is more like an oil than a thick grease. Sounds like you had good luck with it.

[nanuk]

Just buy some pure lard at the grocery store. It will work exactly the same.


The Bears will appreciate it too !:happy dance:

I am sure the Pigs aren't real thrilled though....

[nanuk]

When you guys refer to "Bear Grease" and "Bear Oil" are you talking solid fat for grease and the oil that separates out after sitting in warm environs for some time???

does other rendered fat separate out?