Pillar bedding a Boyd's stock for my Ruger Amer. Predator

[Litehiker]

I bought some aluminum pillars from Brownells to put between the bottom of the V blocks Boyd's provides and the head of the action bolts.

My original Ruger plastic stock has integral V/pillar blocks that combine bedding and pillars in one block but for some reason Boyd's dos not follow that clever design, maybe due to patent infringement, I dunno.
But Boyd's V blocks leave about 1/2" of laminated wood between the bottom of their V blocks and the bottom of the action bolt heads. That's where the pillar bedding will go.

Anyhow I'm cutting my pillars to fit between the surfaces I described above, using JB WELD as the epoxy. If anyone has tips on this process I'm listening. I'm using PAM as my np-sticK coating.

Eric B.

 

[Litehiker]

UPDATE:

My gunsmith discovered there was not enough wood in the Boyd's stock to support the aluminum pillars when drilled out to fit them.

So no pillar bedding. He said the washers I had used on the front bolt (to get the magazine catch properly located) would help a lot and that the epoxy impregnated laminated wood was much denser than natural wood so pillar bedding was not as important.

Lesson learned, at least for that particular rifle/stock combination.

Eric B.