Have you ever tried SPG Bear Grease?

[Headhunter]

I thought I would write a quick note to all you guys about trying SPG's Bear Grease. I purchased some a couple weeks ago. I have been wanting to get away from the Track of the Wolf Mink Oil that I have been using in my muzzleloaders. The reason I wanted to get away from using it, and I have been using it for years, is because when you have a patched round ball in a speed loader, the lube kind of sticks the ball to the patch after it's been stored there for a while. I really don't like that but lived with it. I have tried some homemade concoctions with the same result or accuracy would suffer.

When I got the SPG bear grease in the mail, I Immediately took a strip of pillow ticking and applied the bear grease, I also did the same thing with the Mink Oil from Track. I put both of the patching strips in the freezer. The next day I pulled them out. The Track of the Wolf Mink oil was hard, the bear grease was limber and ready to shoot.

After that, I loaded a speed loader with your Bear Grease and left the patched round ball in the speed loader for 2 weeks. The ball came out without sticking to the patch! Man, this is some good stuff!

Today, I shot Track of the Wolf Mink oil and SPG Bear Grease head to head out of my Flintlock Hawken 50 cal. Wouldn't you know it, the Bear Grease shot better and I could tell the barrel had a little less fouling. I cleaned after every shot. Track of the Wolf shot 1" at 50 Yards with 3 shots and Bear grease made 1 hole with 3 round balls. Next, I tried 100 yards with the bear grease and accuracy was outstanding. My load is 90 Grains of FFFG Goex, Pillow ticking patch cut at the muzzle and a cast .490 Ball. Crazy accurate

I did a search and saw the topic hasn't been brought up. It's worth a try if you are looking for something a little different, I will be using it this year. It's available on the SPG Website www.blackpowderspg.com




HH

 

[Mad L]

I just wonder what they put in those Store Bought "oil lubes"?

I too have been using TOW Mink and noticed the same hardening on pre-lube patches in temps below...36/35 degrees, into the 20s it hard pretty good.
But my pure Bear oil stays soft down into the teens, it turns white (from clear) but still soft. However a fully liquid lube is a bit more messy, cumbersome to use if not at a bench.
So, I mixed some pure Bear oil into TOW Mink and now have the best of both worlds - HOWEVER:

After leaving my concoction in a small size masson type jar with a rubber seal on a shelf since last summer: the rubber seal has deteriated??? Kind of like some kind of petroleum products do to rubber??
The jar holding my pure Bear oil only has not done this so it must be the 'Store bought' mink oil...

 

[New Hampshire]

I just wonder what they put in those Store Bought "oil lubes"?

I too have been using TOW Mink and noticed the same hardening on pre-lube patches in temps below...36/35 degrees, into the 20s it hard pretty good.
But my pure Bear oil stays soft down into the teens, it turns white (from clear) but still soft. However a fully liquid lube is a bit more messy, cumbersome to use if not at a bench.
So, I mixed some pure Bear oil into TOW Mink and now have the best of both worlds - HOWEVER:

After leaving my concoction in a small size masson type jar with a rubber seal on a shelf since last summer: the rubber seal has deteriated??? Kind of like some kind of petroleum products do to rubber??
The jar holding my pure Bear oil only has not done this so it must be the 'Store bought' mink oil...

Interesting, I bet you are correct and it is the Mink oil. We always take a couple bears a year, so this year for sure I am making some lube. Looks like the mixture I am going to try is Bear and bees wax. May even try some this summer with sheep oil and bees wax.

 

[deerstalkert]

i have been using a blend of bear fat and beeswax for a while now. i have 8 pints of fat stored in my powder magazine. never need to swab while shooting, with a dry patch down the barrel after a session before cleaning it comes out almost usable as a lubed patch. black as a politicians soul but soft.
i vary the beeswax to match the temps. what i have right now mixed up i have to heat to lube the patches. been too busy hiding new guns from the bride to make more with less wax.
summer time (85-95*) i use 50/50 blend. right now in the 30's i would probably go 90-10 mix. maybe i will mix some tomorrow and see how it goes. need to do some shooting anyway.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Thanks to @Headhunter for posting this. We are always happy to talk about lubes!

I have read that bear grease is less prone to solidify in extreme cold than other lubes, but we just don’t have that problem here in Florida.

It sounds as if the SPG Bear Grease is pretty good stuff, but do we know what’s in it? I have some leather/shoe dressing called “Bear Grease” that lists no actual bear products at all among the ingredients. I think it’s mostly petroleum grease, but I didn’t know that when I bought it. As for “Mink Oil,” I expect they’d have to render down a mighty big lot of minks to produce that stuff in the quantities shooters use, and I’m wondering if it even contains any actual mink grease.

It is my understanding that Frontier’s “Bear Paws” lube and October Country’s “Bumblin’ Bear Grease” both contain at least some real bear oil or grease, although I’m not certain of that. Lube makers tend to be very protective of their formulas and it may be difficult to determine what any of these lubes really contain, but I’m wondering if this new lube has any real bear grease or not. Which would really make no difference, as long as it works, but I would just like to know.

I’m also wondering how it smells (?).

Notchy Bob

 

[Mad L]

I have seen the quantity of Bear Oil that the Canadian place makes; gallons and gallons of it, and the one US maker renders Gallins of it so I suppose there is plenty of true Bear oil to go around (also all the Indian products and medicines) - but I have never seen the production for Mink rendering...I would imagine it could be stretched further if the add some hamster milk into it

 

[Bad Karma]

I’ve been using SPG modified with Stihl HP Synthetic lube and olive oil. This is for grease grooved bullets. No leading at any velocity and great accuracy.

 

[camoloc]

Thanks to @Headhunter for posting this. We are always happy to talk about lubes!

I have read that bear grease is less prone to solidify in extreme cold than other lubes, but we just don’t have that problem here in Florida.

It sounds as if the SPG Bear Grease is pretty good stuff, but do we know what’s in it? I have some leather/shoe dressing called “Bear Grease” that lists no actual bear products at all among the ingredients. I think it’s mostly petroleum grease, but I didn’t know that when I bought it. As for “Mink Oil,” I expect they’d have to render down a mighty big lot of minks to produce that stuff in the quantities shooters use, and I’m wondering if it even contains any actual mink grease.

It is my understanding that Frontier’s “Bear Paws” lube and October Country’s “Bumblin’ Bear Grease” both contain at least some real bear oil or grease, although I’m not certain of that. Lube makers tend to be very protective of their formulas and it may be difficult to determine what any of these lubes really contain, but I’m wondering if this new lube has any real bear grease or not. Which would really make no difference, as long as it works, but I would just like to know.

I’m also wondering how it smells (?).

Notchy Bob

I like TOW mink mixed with beeswax.......

but may move to mink only.

camo

 

[Mad L]

I like TOW mink mixed with beeswax.......

but may move to mink only.

camo

The 'oil' is what makes it slick, 'Lube', the wax is just to make it not runny.
No reason to add more wax to TOW's Mink Oil as it already has wax (of some type) in it and that is what makes it set up and harden over time or in cold weather, and as reported earlier in this thread "turn sticky" (sticky - opposite of 'slick/lubricant').

It is for that reason tha last winter I began mixing it with pure bear oil; more Lube, less hardening.

 

[Frontier's]

Each of my 5oz tins contains 1/4 cup of pure bear oil. Add any more and it's too runny and flat out liquid in the summer heat. Pure bear oil by itself makes a terrible patch lube.

Guarantee you, the bigger companies if it's real bear oil, only contains slight traces.

 

[Antelope Pete]

Figures, here I just got some of Track's mink oil for if I ever get my rifle done because of the reviews on here to replace the Bore Butter and now SPG Bear Grease is the thing to use. I do use SPG for my BPCR shooting and like it. Oh well.

 

[bpd303]

I do use SPG for my BPCR shooting and like it. Oh well.

Same here, never tried or even heard of SPG Bear Grease. I wonder if they didn't take their all purpose (what I use) and add some blue coloring just for a marketing niche. Still the best lube I have found for both RB and conical is SPG.

 

[Mad L]

Each of my 5oz tins contains 1/4 cup of pure bear oil. Add any more and it's too runny and flat out liquid in the summer heat. Pure bear oil by itself makes a terrible patch lube.

Guarantee you, the bigger companies if it's real bear oil, only contains slight traces.

Well, I have to disagree that pure bear oil is a terrible patch lube; I used it pure for a year and it worked GREAT,it was just 'terrible' to handle in the field but the pre-lubed was Great and did not change consistency sitting in my tin for over a month.
It was just the trouble of handling a bottle of liquid in the field that I started mixing it, now it don't spill if knocked over.
Not much difference to pure bear oil and spit but I run out spit fast.

However, I have only worked with fully rendered pure Oil, the bear grease I have I have only used on leather; it's 'heavier', thicker, yellow to white instead of clear.

The Only reason for was is to make it easier to handle; wax is a horrible 'lube'.

 

[Frontier's]

I got a package in and it definitely is just a name. Very waxy and dries up quick when you rub it between your fingers.

 

[trader82325]

rendered bear fat sure makes for light breakfast biscuits, deeelicious.

 

[Mad L]

rendered bear fat sure makes for light breakfast biscuits, deeelicious.

The lady I get mine from says this is very true (says it's also good for cookies) BUT not if it's from a 'Trash Bear'; one who eats from garbage cans.
She says the trash Bears are not good eating at all, but still makes good shooting lube and she tosses the 'crackling' to the birds as they still love it.