The present disclosure relates to greases containing metal sulfonate thickeners. In one example the thickener may be a calcium sulfonate thickener. In other examples grease may contain a combination of a metal sulfonate thickener and another thickener, such as a metal complex soap grease, detergent, or non-soap thickener. The grease may be formulated to meet specific performance criteria relevant to lubrication of a roller cone drill bit in downhole conditions. The disclosure also relates to a roller cone drill bit containing a grease of the disclosure.