Pillar bed or regular bed?

[Matchbook454]

Is Pillar bedding really worth it or is regular bedding good enough?

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

All my guns are pillar beded when I buy them, I then have them bedded around the action and recoil lug to give full support. For me its not one or the other but both.

 

[isaaccarlson]

Epoxy bedding does wonders by itself and is plenty on most rifles because the gun will usually shoot better than the nut holding it at that point. I installed only pillars in my 22lr and it helped. Then I bedded it and it all came together. Kind of backwards, but that's how I did it.

Pillars remove the compression force from the wood, that's all. I love the feel of pillars but I don't think they are the magic fix people make them out to be. The bedding provides a solid mounting for the action and that reduces/eliminates any movement to start with. As long as you are not crushing wood fibers with excessive torque, bedding alone is fine.

I could be wrong, but that's my opinion after several bedding/pillaring jobs.

 

[tobnpr]

Is Pillar bedding really worth it or is regular bedding good enough?

IMO, depends on the stock.
As noted above, I think it's mandatory for wood stocks. Too much dimensional change with temp/humidity, and pillars mitigate that.
On some composite stocks, where it doesn't compress or change dimensionally, I don't see it as an issue.
Often fiberglass stocks aren't "solid" enough and have fillers- also needing pillars.

They're easy enough to install, a piloted counterbore will open up the action screw holes in the stock- and there are commercial pillars for many actions available so you don't need to machine your own DIY.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I have used lamp rod and couplers. You can get it at most hardware stores.

 

[coop2564]

I think pillars are better, but a standard bedding jobs works. I still have my best shooting gun as a standard bed, Its a DIY custom TC Venture 7 RM.

 

[Forcedoutage]

Pillars take out any compression concern. So yeah that depends on the stock material but I like all my rifles pillar bedded. BUT you can still see some movement of the action in the pillars. Usually you will see some wear marks on top of the pillars. Once you bed the action and recoil lug, most of that movement is generally taken away. I always do both.

 

[MNbogboy]

I have used lamp rod and couplers. You can get it at most hardware stores.

I use a tapandvthread thewoodforthe lamp posts. That way I can preffit them forlength before i epoxy them in.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I use a tapandvthread thewoodforthe lamp posts. That way I can preffit them forlength before i epoxy them in.

I thought I was the only one who did that, lol.

 

[L.Sherm]

Pillars, one less variable.

 

[MNbogboy]

I thought I was the only one who did that, lol.

Where are you in me WI? I hunt near Solon springs.

 

[isaaccarlson]

North of menominie

 

[Dosh]

Pillars with stress-free epoxy bedding for max efficiency.

 

[MNbogboy]

I thought I was the only one who did that, lol.

The weld flash inside the pillars from the steel mill can be annoying when trying for perfect fit & alignment of the action screws, I have used a small round file to smooth it out. I believe I could make a fixture for drilling it out real easy. A lathe would work great for that