Deer Grease for Patch Lube?

[Wolfeknives]

Last hunting season I managed to collect some deer grease, hoping to turn it into patch lube for hunting. At room temp. it is very hard. I searched this forum to see if anyone had suggestions to soften it up, but could not find very much info. Bear grease seems to be the way to go. Knowing that there are lots of alternatives, I would still like to try something traditional if it is at all practical. Any suggestions or recipes for softening up deer fat? Maybe just a dumb idea?

Wolfgang

[WadePatton]

Look for "tallow" perhaps to find all the previous writings.

It is often mixed with other natural fats or substances. I don't blend mine as it's not my primary hunting lube.  I use it mostly for greasing the pan against the weather.  One could heat and soak his patching material in it I'm sure. I've not tried that.

There will be differences of opinion and practice.

[wattlebuster]

Try mixing the deer tallow you already have with some olive oil at about a 70/30 ratio. It will soften it up quite a bit an you may like the results. Shoots good in my guns

[Pukka Bundook]

Yes, deer tallow is stiff, but I use it straight as it's that greasy it still shoves down the barrel all right.
Not the best in these temperatures, (minus 40 this morning!)

Sometimes in real cold I have had to put a pre-lubed patch in my mouth to soften it.
It may not be the best, but works so I use it.
(never had any bear grease to try.)

[OldMtnMan]

Good grief!! 40 below! The last thing i'd be thinking of doing in those temps is shooting.

[MuskratMike]

Also try mixing a little 100% Neatsfoot oil into the tallow. 80/20 should work if you find it still too stiff go to 70/30. Frankly I use just spit for trail walks and club shoots, for hunting or cold weather I just use 100% Neatsfoot oil.

[Daryl]

Good grief!! 40 below! The last thing i'd be thinking of doing in those temps is shooting.

It's warming up here - only -12 this morning. NO - not going shooting. Afterall, it's spring.
isn't it?

[Wolfeknives]

Great, thank's for the suggestions. I will try the olive oil and some patches with the hard tallow. The pure deer tallow may be a little difficult because it can get very cold here during deer season. I do use neatsfoot oil, but wanted to try something home brewed. It's just a satisfying thing to use I guess.
For target shooting spit is working fine for me.

Wolfgang

[Pukka Bundook]

Wolf,

You won't be disappointed with deer tallow.  It cleans up well and really doesn't build up fouling fast.  It works very slick as a lube. Others may be better but I never felt hindered by using it.
Cut with some Neatsfoot or olive oil will soften it as others have said.

O'l mountain Man,

Was hunting with bro-in law once and it was 40 below.  I'd got my deer so was sort of guiding him.   A buck turned up in full rut and you could hardly see him for steam from his breath.  Poor old Rob was so froze he couldn't pull the trigger,...so we went home!  LOL.

[OldMtnMan]

Our muzzleloader season is mid Sept. If there's a temp problem it will be too hot. Otherwise, it's in the 60's. Even at 11,000ft.

If I can't get the muzzy tag and have to hunt in rifle seasons. Then it gets cold. Late Oct-late Nov.

 However, never -40 cold. Brrrrrr

[Pukka Bundook]

Had a borrowed modern rifle freeze up on me one time.

Got a shot and it wouldn't work.  LOL.

[bob in the woods]

Over 25 years ago, I was deer hunting in minus 30 temps.  Went to take a shot at a nice buck, drew the cock back fro 1/2 to full, and the main spring snapped.  I had fired that rifle at least a 1000 times without a hitch, but when I got home I could see a tiny bubble/void in the spring casting.  Luckily it was just on my property, so not a lot of travel involved, but I carry spare springs now. 

[OldMtnMan]

In those temps, i'm sure something would break on me before the gun breaks.

[Daryl]

Minus 40 is hard on mainsprings. Coldest for us, was -56 C - a cold snap while we were on the special weapon's hunt. 
Horrid weather for hunting with anything. That's -68.8F and the coldest I've ever seen around these parts.  Hurts to breath.
 Hard on the moose, too. In town, the coldest I've seen is -49Cel., -57F. Too cold to be outside, imho.

[Pukka Bundook]

Daryl,

Coldest we had was years ago, about minus 68-70 F.
Neighbour had to feed cows, and his tarped up tractor froze up only about half a mile from home.  Had to walk back, but froze his lungs. Took him years to really get over it.  A lot of cows froze standing up that winter.

[Daryl]

That happened really bad back in the 30's I think it was, Montana.