Been reading a lot about pillars lately. I've bedded all of my rifles and several for others using Brownells and now Marine Tex. On the last few I used the method shown in the Best of the West videos of overboring the screw holes and filling in with bedding compound. It essentially makes a 1/8"-3/16" thick pillar out of compound. Pretty simple to do and doesn't cost you any more than the basic bedding compound. I've seen the price of steel pillars and that could add up real quick. Is there any reason that metal pillars would be better than the compound?
Even though the bedding compounds are very hard they can compress over time. (The reason
that after while the bedding will loosen and needs to be re-done.
Metal pillars will not compress and help prevent the bedding from loosening sooner.
I use to bed without pillars and over time had to go back and do a skim bed to bring accuracy
back to the original Quality.
I have seen many different materials used for pillars(Fiberglass rods, hardwood dowels,hi density
plastics ETC) and personally find the metal ones work the best and last the longest. In fact I will
not bed without installing aluminum or stainless pillars first.
The bedding compound will work but it will not last as long under hard service.
With good pillars bedding is not subject to as much compression force and will last much longer.
Just my experience
J E CUSTOM
