Bear oil

[Flintlock]

Anyone have a lot of experience using bear oil as a patch lube, I'm wondering about thoughts on accuracy, fowling and it it is more or less prone to combust as compared to others. I really hate the thought of patches smoldering in the dry leaves. Really not interested in modern type lubes like windshield washer fluids, dish soap, or modern oils.

 

[bldtrailer]

any tallow (without salt) will work, oil is the lighter stuff that seprates out after rendering

 

[Flintlock]

any tallow (without salt) will work, oil is the lighter stuff that seprates out after rendering

Yes, we all know that, but does BEAR OIL, work as well as some claim.

 

[user 34300]

"They" say a lot of things. I tried bear oil and found it to work fine. May things "work fine". I would not make special efforts to obtain it.

Ned Roberts in his book, "The muzzle loading Caplock Rifle" waxed on about it. That book was a foundational document for the modern muzzle loading resurgence. He may be partly responsible for the legendary status of bear oil.

At the range something with mostly water is excellent. I use moose milk or soapy water. I saturate the patches in a little tupperware and wring out he excess. Spit is popular. I tend to keep my hand out of my mouth when handling lead. For hunting something oily is called for. Lots of oils are fine. Olive oil, neetsfoot oil, mink oil, and others are suggested. The modern equivalent to whale oil is Jojoba oil, whale oil was the holy grail. I have been meaning to try drug store mineral oil (Balistol is mostly mineral oil).

One needs to keep in mind that when MLs were in common use they had no access to petroleum. The kept their guns loaded. That meant using some kind of animal fat. They used what they could get. Bear, deer, hog, and beef were all commonly used.

Try not to over think patch lubes. It really does not matter much. What can matter is using a lube that is to slick, that hurts accuracy.

 

[mhb]

In working-up loads for my C. Foehl Philadelphia .38 Schuetzen rifle (a picket gun), I tried bear oil, because Uncle Alvaro recommended it... While other lubes worked as intended, the bear oiled patches were blown to smithereens with the same charges. Why? Beats me.

mhb - MIke

 

[bldtrailer]

The English use mutton tallow for over 200yrs (even after muzzleloaders to water proof breech loaders paper then cartages) as a lube . If they had a better lube they would have used it. The holy grail of lubes was Whale oil good luck with that one
If you have bear oil or grease try it (I didn't get great groups with it), so for me not worth the effort to get, me & my bear, before (sorry mods)

 

[bldtrailer]

my bear after

 

[Flintlock]

"They" say a lot of things. I tried bear oil and found it to work fine. May things "work fine". I would not make special efforts to obtain it.

Ned Roberts in his book, "The muzzle loading Caplock Rifle" waxed on about it. That book was a foundational document for the modern muzzle loading resurgence. He may be partly responsible for the legendary status of bear oil.

At the range something with mostly water is excellent. I use moose milk or soapy water. I saturate the patches in a little tupperware and wring out he excess. Spit is popular. I tend to keep my hand out of my mouth when handling lead. For hunting something oily is called for. Lots of oils are fine. Olive oil, neetsfoot oil, mink oil, and others are suggested. The modern equivalent to whale oil is Jojoba oil, whale oil was the holy grail. I have been meaning to try drug store mineral oil (Balistol is mostly mineral oil).

One needs to keep in mind that when MLs were in common use they had no access to petroleum. The kept their guns loaded. That meant using some kind of animal fat. They used what they could get. Bear, deer, hog, and beef were all commonly used.

Try not to over think patch lubes. It really does not matter much. What can matter is using a lube that is to slick, that hurts accuracy.

I wrote this post on several sites and on here forgot to mention I'm looking for a traditional (do-all) oil, that can be carried in my bag. One that works for patches, lock lube, rust preventive and stock refresher.

 

[TFoley]

Bear oil seems to be pretty good. I've never heard a squeaky bear, so far.

 

[Flintlock]

My apologies I posted this on several sites, I'm looking for the perfect all natural, historically correct lube for patches, lock lube and general rifle maintenance to be carried in the bag. Olive oil works well for now but have been debating bear oil, but have to wait till next fall to get some most likely. If bear oil is even worth a shot, ( pun intended).

 

[Black Powder Guy]

Thanks for posting Flintlock. I am going to try doing that also.

 

[bldtrailer]

our forbearers (sorry about pun) used what was at hand lard(without salt of almost any animal)
Whale oil and sweet oil (maybe olive oil) had to be purchased
Rendered fat will give tallow/oil- Bear grease/oil , mink oil, racoon, skunk, possum, deer(kidney fat) could be made on frontier
You have to remember there were not many large animals left east of the big muddy.
when they hunted /slaughtered(mutton, hog)an animal they would use everything in some form

 

[user 34300]

"I'm looking for the perfect all natural, historically correct lube for patches, lock lube and general rifle maintenance to be carried in the bag. "

HC is an unworthy goal. Besides, there is no such thing. Whatever greasy part of last nights dinner left overs you try it will be a poor rust preventer. Olive oil is a poor rust preventer. IF you use the substances, your rifle will be damaged by rust. Look at old rifles, many are half eaten by rust.

Why emulated something that does not work and did not work then? Use a modern oils and greases, your rifle will thank you.

The only HC exception is whale oil. Unless you have some close ties to an Eskimo you are s.o.l. on that one. It's not HC but jojoba oil is similar to whale oil. For preservative, anhydrous lanolin is excellent. I do not know if it is HC or not.

The warnings about petroleum oils being bad are bunk, a myth, forget it.

 

[Woody Morgan]

I've gotten good use out of olive oil (see what I did?)
Problem is, I crave a plate of spaghetti and a salad after a day's shooting.

wm

 

[Flintlock]

"I'm looking for the perfect all natural, historically correct lube for patches, lock lube and general rifle maintenance to be carried in the bag. "

HC is an unworthy goal. Besides, there is no such thing. Whatever greasy part of last nights dinner left overs you try it will be a poor rust preventer. Olive oil is a poor rust preventer. IF you use the substances, your rifle will be damaged by rust. Look at old rifles, many are half eaten by rust.

Why emulated something that does not work and did not work then? Use a modern oils and greases, your rifle will thank you.

The only HC exception is whale oil. Unless you have some close ties to an Eskimo you are s.o.l. on that one. It's not HC but jojoba oil is similar to whale oil. For preservative, anhydrous lanolin is excellent. I do not know if it is HC or not.

The warnings about petroleum oils being bad are bunk, a myth, forget it.

I've been using natural oils for over 25 years now and have had great luck, but I use my rifles all the time and keep them clean. Modern oils such as motor oil are great if your going on deployment or away for extended periods of time But otherwise natural it is, all this modern stuff available a person might as well just shoot in-lines or some such thing.

 

[mhb]

FWIW: 'Whale oil' is rendered from blubber, and primarily used as lamp oil. The lubricating product is 'sperm oil', derived from the headcase of the sperm whale, and is a much rarer and more expensive product - it was, and still is, an excellent lubricant, and was used for patch lubrication. I had to correct Sam Fadala ( a friend) on this point after he referenced whale oil in his first blackpowder shooter's guide.

mhb - MIke

 

[bud in pa]

I found that the original Lehigh Valley Lube protected my barrel the best. Left it dirty after shooting for 1 month, before I knew better, and when I cleaned I could detect no rust.

 

[user 34300]

IF you shoot your rifle every week and keep an eye on it, have at it.

I do not inspect or clean some of my guns for years at a time. I would not trust olive oil or hog fat to protect my investments. I do trust cosmoline, lanolin and LPS-3. So far I have had no problems with rust in over 50 years. I guess it depends on how valuable your guns are to you.

 

[Flintlock]

IF you shoot your rifle every week and keep an eye on it, have at it.

I do not inspect or clean some of my guns for years at a time. I would not trust olive oil or hog fat to protect my investments. I do trust cosmoline, lanolin and LPS-3. So far I have had no problems with rust in over 50 years. I guess it depends on how valuable your guns are to you.

Very valuable, thats why they get used.

 

[Frontier's]