[Doc Hoy]

On the serious side, I have read recipes that include mutton tallow. I have always wondered two things about a comparison of mutton tallow and lard.

To open the post I must tell you that I have never used either mutton tallow or lard in a bore lube recipe.


But even if I did I think I am not a serious enough shooter to be able to detect a difference in the performance of lubes in which mutton tallow was used rather than lard.

So question 1. is: For those who have compared it, is there a difference or would lard work as well as mutton tallow?

I have looked into the chemical differences between the two substances and from the little bit of information I am able to gather, tallow is just a different name for the same substance I know as lard. I am assuming that any chemical difference that would be significant enough to influence its suitability as a component in bore lube, would stem from the fact that it comes from a sheep rather than a steer.

So question 2. is:

Are there others among us who use the words "tallow" (not "Mutton tallow", just "tallow") and "Lard" interchangeably?

Question 3. is:

Why are questions 1 and 2 important?

It would be important to know if both mutton tallow and lard perform in substantially the same way when used as a component in bore lube.

Point 1 - Mutton tallow is expensive (I have understood it to cost almost twice as much as lard. 5.75 plus shipping from DGW for 12 to 16 oz.)

Point 2 - Mutton tallow is not easy to come by. (I Called a local butchering and rendering company and they did not have any, never handled it and didn't know where to tell me to go to find it. They had plenty of lard.)

So it would be important to know that a component of bore lube that is somewhat rare and also somewhat expensive could be substituted by one which can be bought for four bucks a pound at any grocery store.