Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Pillar Bedding Question

This is long, so bear with me. I want y'all to know the all the info up front. About 5 years ago, I bought a Winchester Coyote heavy barrel varmint rifle in .22-250 at a LGS. The previous owner was a retired gentleman that would buy a gun (usually new), tune it up, fix it up, get it shooting the way he wants it to, and trade it in on another project. I've purchased a couple of his other project guns in the past and have been very pleased with them. He bought this rifle new at that LGS. It came to me with 100 pieces of PPU brass, 40 of which had been loaded and 30 of those had been fired, and it included his loading data for that ammo using Sierra 52gr HP's and H414 and Varget powders. There was no notation in his data of any accuracy results. It had only been fired those 30 shots.

The rifle has the 24" heavy stainless barrel and factory laminate stock. The barrel and receiver are stock, except for him installing a Timney trigger. He had bedded the action and installed (epoxied in) home-brew bedding pillars, front and rear, made from copper tubing, that fit the front and rear action screws quite snugly. However, the bore of the pillars appear to line up perfectly with the screw holes in the receiver and the barrel is centered in the forearm and is free floated all the way to the bedding at the root of the barrel. The bedding extends about an inch under the barrel. Checked everything over, torqued action screws with torque screwdriver (middle screw just finger tight with a drop of loctite blue on it). Mounted scope (Japan Nikon Monarch 4-12) on it checking everything for clean, straight, and proper torque.

I pulled the bullets and dumped the powder (Varget) because I don't trust handloads that were loaded when I wasn't there, personally. All the charges were right on the money, so I ran the brass back through a neck sizer and reloaded them. I measured the heads of the fired brass and looked at the primers and found no excessive pressure signs and his load data was all prudent. I ran the rest of the brass through a neck sizer, being careful not to bump the shoulder back, then loaded some Sierra 52gr HP's and Hornady 55gr Vmax's using Varget, Big Game and RL15.

Best groups I've been able to coax out of it is a fuzz over an inch, some much worse. I've changed scopes (now wearing a Swift Premier 6-18x50). I tried some loads and bullets that shot less than 1/2 MOA out of my old Model 70 Varmint .22-250 from the 1970's, no luck. I cleaned it good and gave it a DBC job, no luck. I went to contact original owner, the gentleman that did the work on it, but, unfortunately he died not long after I bought the rifle. The rifle has been sitting in the back of the safe ever since then, but I'm gonna dig it out and make it earn its living or send it down the road.

I suspect that the problem is in the home-brew pillar bedding. The tubes are quite snug around the screws and they have to be pushed through the tubes with your thumb. None of my other pillar bedded rifles are that way. Also, the bedding on the front side of the recoil lug is not relieved.

So, after all this verbiage, when you pillar bed a rifle, are you supposed to leave clearance around the action screws? And should I relieve the bedding on the front of the recoil lug?

Clearance on the bolts.....I do, and generously.

The lug. Some like clearance, some don't. A couple of mine are bedded in firm with zero clearance anywhere. That's what they liked best. What's critical though in any case, is 100% contact on the back of the lug.

I think you need to redo the pillar bedding. My understanding is that you need clearance around the screws and that the pillars need to be solidly attached to the stock, at least that is how I have done them. My preference is also to relieve all of the surfaces of the recoil lug except the back. While you are at it you may want to check all of the bedding to make sure it was done correctly.

This is what I do as well. If you have a dial indicator and the means to affix it to the barrel with its tip against the forend, loosening and re-tightening the action screws can be revealing. Any movement should be very minimal if the bedding is sound.
Al Nyhus has made some great posts on this subject.

Thanks for the excellent advice, guys. I'll rework or replace the pillars for sure, and check the rest of the bedding very carefully. The bedding is very neatly done, but the proof of the pudding will be the dial indicator. That's a terrific idea. I'll go get mine out of my engine assembly tools. It's got a mag mount, but I don't know if it'll stick to that SS barrel very well, but I can tape or zip-tie it to the barrel.

Thank all y'all again!

Tim

You must have clearance around the action sctews. If you don't, the rifle effectively has multiple recoil lugs. On an action with 1/4" screws like a Model 70, I make the pillar I.D. 5/16" to allow adequate clearance.

I'd suggest opening up the pillars before checking it with an indicator. When the screws are bound up in the pillars, they can show minimal movement but it's a fake out. Ditto on a tight recoil.lug...except at the rear, obviously. -Al

Al,

Thank you VERY much for the info. I will follow your advice and report back. It may be several weeks before I'm able to get this done, as I'm living out of boxes now, waiting on my house to be finished.

Tim

Here is a quick way to check your bedding: Loosen both action screws then tighten one of them to torque specs. Now tighten the other screw, it should go from loose to torque in about 1/4-1/2 turn. If it doesn't it means something is wrong. If that checks out, loosen both screws again and tighten the other screw first and the second screw should go from loose to tight in less than 1/2 turn. If that checks out you are probably GTG.

Gotta relieve those copper pillars...although there may not be enough material on copper tubing for adequate relief.

Is run a 9/32 and/or 19/64 drill through them and see what you have left...although 5/16 would be better. Can't hurt what don't work.

If nothing else you'll have started your re-pillar job.

Rick M.

Gotta relieve those copper pillars...although there may not be enough material on copper tubing for adequate relief.

I'd run a 9/32 and/or 19/64 drill through them and see what you have left...although 5/16 would be better. Can't hurt what don't work.

If nothing else you'll have started your re-pillar job.

Rick M.

My primary pillar stock is 6061 aluminum tubing 1/2" OD, .26" ID that I order from ONLINE METALS. The largest diameter screws that I have to deal with are the Mausers with most new stock screws being exactly .25, while the Rem & Win stuff is .243-.245. Howas & Vanguars are like .23 IIRC. I've stocked any Tikas, and it's been years since I did any Savages or Rugers so I'd have to look them up. Anyway, if all you need is a small piece of tubing for a couple of pillars, send me a PM.

Thanks guys! Lots more good info here. Offshoreman: I appreciate the offer! I'll holler if I need a small piece of that tubing.

Tim