Using Tallow or Crisco Lube

[strongarm]

I would like to know who uses talllow and how to use it and how well does it work?

I made some venison tallow, yet others tell me they just use bacon drippings on their patches. I boiled mine the second time to reduce the aromma and to remove the salt. It came out like hard mashed potatoes.

I added 4 tablespoons of olive oil to 1/2 cup of tallow to soften it a bit. I also nuke the patch strips to even out the tallow before loading.

Does anyone use Crisco out of the can? Doesn't that get too greasey and if so how do you adjust for the greasiness?

 

[Rebel]

I used Crisco for years with not much problem. Only thing is if it is REAL cold out it gets pretty stiff.

 

[Swampman]

I've used lard, deer tallow, bear fat, bee's wax, olive oil and mixtures of all the above. Why would deer tallow have salt in it???

 

[strongarm]

I was told deer go to a salt lick just like cattle. Only they don't have that opportunity as often, so the amount of salt in their system would be less, but still there.

 

[Wehrmacht]

I'd be a little cautious of bacon fat due to a high salt content added during processing.That's just my feelings,and isn't based on any special knowledge or experience with it.

I've used deer tallow for years,just rendered out without going through the water/tallow boiling process. Probably my most used is 25% beeswax and 75% bear oil mixed. This works really good for me down here in the Deep South.

 

[musketman]

Careful on the Crisco too, remember to measure your barrel before and after using it...

Why?

'Cus it's shortning... :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

ahem, I have used Crisco with good results, it's economicly sound, you can get a large can for just a few dollars...

 

"'Cus it's shortning..."

ARRRRRRGH, It's gonna be a long winter, with the sillies starting this soon. :rotf: Keep it up we haven't seen the sun in three weeks here in northern Michigan. Bill

 

[guncobbler]

Tallow has salt in it because it is an animal product and salt gets everywhere in an animal's body. Without salt we'd all cramp up and die. There was a death of a marathon runner a year ago who drank too much plain water during and after a race. Years back there was an article in "Fowling Shot" the journal of the Cast Bullet Assoc by Denis Marshall. He took tallow and measured it's salt content in the lab. He then boiled it on top of water and mixed it around to attempt to dilute the salt using the water. After two or three cycles of this he still had measurable amounts of salt. Is it enough to rust your bore? Guess we'll have to test it. I have some new tallow from this years deer. Have to get the sander out and clean some metal. Report to follow. GC

 

[Welchman]

I perfer crisco as a patch lube. It seems to keep the bore residue softer? I get more shots between swabing out the bore when shooting when using crisco.

I melt cricso in a pan and add the patches when absorbed I take the pathces out and lay them between layers of paper towel and press down keep be sure to keep each patch seperated. I then put them in the refrig. to stiffen them up and I then put them in my patch tin.

Please remember to pray for our troops.

Welchman

 

[hung load]

Yesterday I tried shooting conical bullets for the first time. I bought a tin of Crisco but couldn't figure out how to apply it neatly to the 380 gr conical bullet I had cast. It was just messy and all over the place. How do you all apply it? Any good methods to suggest?

 

[bpollock_sr]

Any time you are greasing conicals by hand it gets messy.I always carry a piece of rag with me to wipe my fingers on.