Pillar Bedding

[Ankeny]

Ordered a new stock for my custom Sako 30-338. The rifle shoots great, but I kinda banged the stock up when I tumbled down the hill and rather than re-finish, I figured I'd try the fiberglass route. Won't mention any names, but the maker has been known to frequent this forum. Now I wonder who that could be? Anyhow, can someone enlighten me on the theory behind pillar bedding and how it works in practice.

I had a gunsmith glass bed my wooden stock, then later he reworked the stock and bedded it again with the pillars. I didn't see any difference in accuracy. My question is, should I pillar bed or just glass the action?

 

[wildcat]

Pillar bedding a fiberglass stock will not be of as much advantage as pillar bedding a wood stock.The bedding pillars a supposed to give you a positive contact between the bottom metal and the action,the pillars are left a little higher than the stock material.The Idea is to keep any movement of the stock from putting presure on the action or barrel.Because the fiberglass stock is less likley to warp you should see less improvement than you would with a wood stock.I have not used alot of fiberglass stocks but the ones I have used needed to be glass bedded in order to get a good fit.Pillar bedding will do no harm but you may not gain much.If it was mine I would glass bed free float and take it to the range you can always pillar bed after.How do you like the 30-338 ? I always wanted to build one.

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Fear a government that fears your guns

 

[Ankeny]

Thanks for the info Wildcat. On my pillar bedded wooden stock the action was glassed even with the pillars so I suppose the purpose of the pillars was defeated.

I like my 30-338 very much. It is about an identical twin to the .308 Morma without having to spend a small fortune for the brass.