Deer Tallow for lube

[Eterry]

After knocking over a large and healthy buck with my 58 cal Buff Hunter last year I trimmed off several lbs of deer fat, (tallow) from the deer's back and its in my freezer in freezer paper. I'm thinking of using it for lube.

Anyone here use it? Do you use it straight or mix it?

Thanks

 

[Black Hand]

I use it to lube premade shot loads for the smoothbore. Otherwise, it is so waxy that I use it for waterproofing moccasins and have pounds rendered to make candles...

 

[Crewdawg445]

In agreement with Black Hand, it's far to waxy for lube. It does however as mentioned make a wonderful grease for leather.

Be sure to render it. I use a tiny crock pot and typically will cook it off for five hours then remove the semi solid chunks and pour into whatever container you desire.

 

[BrownBear]

For a lot of years I rendered a fair bit, then blended it with various proportions of olive oil for lube. It was excellent, but very sensitive to temperature and prone to becoming too soft on warm days, depending on temp. I could have worked in some beeswax for better stability I'm sure, but then I tried TOW's mink tallow, which keeps its consistency over a wide range of temps. Got lazy and quit messing with the deer tallow, good as it was when the blend was right for the temp.

BTW- for our usual winter temps (25-45) a 2:1 mix, tallow to olive oil was fine. For "summer" use (50-65 degrees) I moved up to 3:1. Strait tallow was best at temps above that.

 

[necchi]

No, it doesn't make good lube.
If it does, or did in the past we would all be being marketed with deer tallow based lubes on the commercial market.
Sure you can use it, but is it good?
Nope.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Anybody try opossum?.....They have a lot of slippery fat.

Side note, I skinned one up against a wood fence once and it shed rain for at least two years....

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

I don't shoot them because actually they absorb ticks and when the tick bites it falls off and dies, so they act like little vacuum cleaners. Plus they are not very dangerous at all, they feint and act out but are not aggressive. Not only that, but they have a very high body temp so it makes it virtually impossible for them to catch the rabies.

 

[lwscrim]

Has anyone tried rendered raccoon fat?

We have a lot of them around here and they are good eating in the late winter after they have fattened up on deer corn...

 

[Crewdawg445]

Mink hands down wins.

However I've said it over and over... Spit, it's free and doesn't require any rendering, mess or smells.

In cold weather though true mink tallow is the cats meow.

 

[Black Hand]

Has anyone tried rendered raccoon fat?

We have a lot of them around here and they are good eating in the late winter after they have fattened up on deer corn...

I'm certain someone has - try it and report back. No reason raccoon fat shouldn't work.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I don't shoot them because actually they absorb ticks and when the tick bites it falls off and dies, so they act like little vacuum cleaners. Plus they are not very dangerous at all, they feint and act out but are not aggressive. Not only that, but they have a very high body temp so it makes it virtually impossible for them to catch the rabies.

Actually it is their lower than normal body temp that inhibits the rabies virus...94-97 degrees

Also Ticks don't fall off and die from being on a opossum, rather opossums are very good at grooming themselves, they lick off the ticks and eat them according to Richard Ostfeld, of the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y.

 

[Black Hand]

I don't shoot them because actually they absorb ticks and when the tick bites it falls off and dies, so they act like little vacuum cleaners.

?
Is Possum blood toxic to ticks? Do you have any scientific data to back up this statement?

 

[tenngun]

I don’t know. I’ve never seen a possum till I moved to the ozarks. I trapped one and thought that fatty meat would be good for trap bait. I didn’t catch any thing in a possum baited trap.
It seems people, buzzards and crows are the only thing that eats the little ( fill in the blank)

 

[Rifleman1776]

to waxy for lube

Nebber heerd thet one before.

Beeswax is commonly used in various lubes. My current patch lube is beeswax/whale oil and works fine. My back-up when the whale is gone is beeswax/peanut oil. I didn't measure when I mixed but believe my stuff is about 50/50 wax and oil.
Can't speak for the deer/****/possum tallows, haven't used them.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I don’t know. I’ve never seen a possum till I moved to the ozarks. I trapped one and thought that fatty meat would be good for trap bait. I didn’t catch any thing in a possum baited trap.
It seems people, buzzards and crows are the only thing that eats the little ( fill in the blank)

Interesting, I trap raccoons and use whatever scrap meat is on hand. ***** ain't finicky, they will eat anything. BTW, I long ago stopped trying to get rid of the possum around my place, they are simply too numerous to make a dent in the population. I read one study that said there can be more than 150 in a one acre woods lot. Ozark folks used to eat possum in the hardscrabble days, some still do. Not to my liking but not poisonous.

 

[lwscrim]

Mink hands down wins.

In cold weather though true mink tallow is the cats meow.

I agree, mink oil my favorite! And yes I spit patch also, as you stated it is cost effective.

I use mink oil from PRBs in a loading block to treating my boot leather.

I made up a batch of leather treatment consisting of neets foot oil and bees' wax. I've been curious how effective this mixture would be as a patch lube?!? Neets foot oil will stay liquid down to a very low temperature.
I've been too content with the mink oil to try it.

 

[Black Hand]

Once I went to Bear grease/oil, I've not used anything else (all my patches are pre-cut and pre-lubed). Yes - spit is free, but the ticking/cloth tastes nasty, I hate getting threads in my mouth and it sucks all the moisture from my head...

 

[coloradoclyde]

to waxy for lube

Nebber heerd thet one before.

.

He was referring to the consistency/texture of deer fat....And I agree with his assessment, it is kind of "sticky" on steel and doesn't lube well.

Not sure if it could be rendered into something useable or if you could thin it with another oil to make it work.... :idunno:

 

[Major Dorman]

I use deer tallow for lube in my flintlock when hunting. Also use it on the arbor in my revolver.

 

[coloradoclyde]

How does it work in below freezing weather?