Pillar Bedding for Top Rifle Accuracy: A Master Gunsmith's Guide
Updated: 1 day ago
Quick answer: pillar bedding replaces the soft stock material between the action and the bottom metal with solid metal pillars, so the action screws clamp against metal instead of compressing wood or plastic. Done correctly the action returns to the same place after every shot. Done incorrectly, misaligned pillars and epoxy cured under tension lock permanent stress into the action and the rifle shoots worse than it did before. Our standard is under 0.001 inch of measured stress, checked with a dial indicator.
Most shooters think pillar bedding is a way to make a rifle shoot better. It is really a way to make a rifle shoot the same. Those are not the same thing, and the difference is why a bad bedding job is worse than no bedding job at all.
This is for hunters and precision shooters who want to understand what pillar bedding actually does and whether their rifle has it done right.
At Redleg, pillar bedding is not a service we farm out or learn from YouTube. Brandon holds a gunsmithing and machining degree from Pine Technical College, trained under Gordy Gritter, and operates under a Type 7 FFL and Class 2 SOT. We machine our own aluminum pillars in-house on the lathe. Every bedding job is stress-tested with a dial indicator. Our standard is less than .001" movement. If it does not hit that number, we do it again. We ship completed work back to customers across the country, and the bedding standard is the same whether the rifle came from next door or out of state.
What Pillar Bedding a Rifle Actually Fixes
Problem | What Happens Without Pillars | What Pillars Fix |
Stock compression | Action shifts | Consistent torque |
Recoil inconsistency | POI shift | Stable recoil interface |
Bedding stress | Action distortion | Stress-free fit |
Torque variability | Accuracy changes | Repeatability |
If your rifle is stringing shots vertically, bedding stress is one of the most common causes. Read: Why Your Rifle Is Stringing Vertically
What Most Gunsmiths Get Wrong About Pillar Bedding
Most bedding jobs fail for one reason. They treat pillar bedding as a gap-filling process instead of a stress-control system.
We see rifles come through the shop where:
Epoxy was applied to fill space, not control stress
Pillars are misaligned because holes were drilled freehand
Action screws were overtightened during cure, inducing permanent stress into the bedding
The result is a rifle that shoots worse after a bedding job than before. The customer paid for a service that made the problem worse because the shop focused on epoxy, not alignment.
Proper pillar bedding is a stress-control operation. The epoxy is almost secondary.
Why Factory Bedding Is Built the Way It Is
Mass Production Fits a Range of Rifles, Not Your Rifle
Factory rifles are designed for efficiency and profitability. To maintain high production rates, manufacturers often prioritize ease of assembly over precision fitting. Stocks are machine-inletted to accommodate a wide range of barreled actions, resulting in a loose fit. Many standard stocks feature a pressure pad at the fore-end, applying upward tension on the barrel when the stock screws are tightened. While this method achieves acceptable accuracy for the average shooter, it falls short for those seeking exceptional performance.
What the Factories Added, and Where It Stops
In response to increasing demand for accuracy, some manufacturers have begun free-floating barrels and employing rudimentary bedding techniques. Methods include:
Spot Bedding: Applying bedding compound around the recoil lug and rear tang.
Factory Browning Bedding V-Block Bedding: Integrating a V-shaped bedding block into synthetic stocks.
Pillar Installation: Incorporating pillars into stocks without full bedding.
While these methods offer marginal improvements, they often lack the precision and stress-free fit required for top-tier accuracy. The mass-produced nature of these solutions means they can't match the benefits of a custom, meticulously executed bedding job.
Why Rigidity and Consistent Harmonics Decide Accuracy
At its core, achieving superior accuracy involves minimizing barrel movement and vibration during bullet travel. Key factors contributing to this control include:
Rigidity: A stiffer rifle experiences less movement. Heavy bull barrels and solid single-shot custom actions exemplify this principle.
Material Stability: Custom barrels with consistent bore tolerances vibrate less than factory barrels.
Stock Design: Rigid stocks, whether laminated wood or quality synthetics, reduce flex compared to flimsy alternatives.
By ensuring that the action and stock form a unified, stress-free assembly, we effectively create a more rigid platform. This rigidity translates to consistent barrel harmonics, essential for precision shooting.
Think of it like a guitar string. For the instrument to produce the same note consistently, the string must vibrate the same way each time. For a rifle to achieve top accuracy, the barrel must exhibit consistent vibration patterns with every shot. Proper pillar bedding ensures that the action and barrel form a rigid, unified structure, minimizing unwanted movement and harmonics variation.
What the Pillars Themselves Are Doing
Pillars prevent stock compression between the action and bottom metal. During firing, vibrations can cause slight stock compression, leading to action movement and decreased accuracy. Pillars, typically made from aluminum or stainless steel, provide a solid connection point, reducing this movement. Custom-made pillars ensure exact fitment, further enhancing stability.
Finding and Eliminating Action Stress
Why Stress-Free Matters More Than Tight
A stressed action can significantly hinder accuracy. Stress occurs when the action is bent or twisted upon tightening the stock screws, altering bolt lug contact and affecting barrel harmonics. To achieve top accuracy, the action must remain as straight and stress-free as possible within the stock.
How We Test for Bedding Stress
To gauge bedding stress:
Setup: Secure the rifle with the barrel free-floating.
Measurement: Use a dial indicator on the barrel ahead of the fore-end.
Procedure: Loosen and tighten the front action screw.
Observation: Any movement indicates stress. There should be zero movement vertically or horizontally.
Even minor stress can impact bolt lug contact, altering the action's performance. It's essential to detect and rectify these issues during the bedding process.
Pillar Bedding a Rifle, Step by Step
Prepare the Stock
Remove Interferences: Eliminate any pressure pads or contact points in the barrel channel. If the stock can accommodate it we like to see a gap of .020” on the side and .060” on the bottom of the barrel channel.
Opening the barrel channel on a stock before bedding. The inlet must be cleared of all contact points before pillars are installed Drill Pillar Holes: Enlarge the action screw holes to accommodate the pillars, ensuring at least a 1/16" clearance around the pillars.
Drilling pillar holes freehand introduces misalignment. Consistent hole geometry is the foundation of a stress-free bedding job. Fabricate Custom Pillars:
Use aluminum bar stock for optimal stability.
Custom aluminum pillar being turned to length on the lathe. Cut .005" long to prevent stock contact after installation. Cut pillars slightly (.005") longer than the bedding depth to prevent stock contact.
Parting the pillar to final length. The inside diameter must be .020" larger than the action screw diameter for proper clearance. Inside diameter of the holes should be about .020” bigger than the outside diameter of the screws.
Boring the screw clearance hole through the pillar. Tight tolerances here prevent lateral movement after installation. Verify the height is proper, check feeding, and magazine fitment.
Verifying Height And Feeding After Pillars Are Made Roughen and degrease the pillars to enhance epoxy adhesion.
Roughed pillar faces ready for epoxy. The surface texture is the mechanical key that locks the pillar into the bedding compound permanently.
Inlet for the Bedding Compound
Stock Material Considerations:
Wood Stocks: Remove 1/8" to 1/4" of material in the bedding area to allow a thick epoxy layer, mitigating wood movement due to environmental changes.
Laminated/Synthetic Stocks: Remove 1/16" to 1/8" as they are inherently more stable.
Remove 1/8" to 1/4" from wood stocks in the bedding area. The epoxy layer needs thickness to absorb wood movement from humidity changes. Maintain Proper Height: Leave a piece of the stock at the rear tang area to maintain height. Tape wrapped around the barrel will center the barrel in the channel and be used to hold up the front of the firearm on the next step.
Chalk marking the barrel channel on a Remington stock before any material comes out.
Surface Preparation: Roughen and degrease the interior bedding area to promote epoxy adhesion.
Prepare the Action
Disassembly: Remove the trigger, safety, bolt release, and magazine components.
Taping: Apply tape to areas where epoxy should be excluded, such as the sides, bottom, and front of the recoil lug.
Electrical Tape Wrapped Around Lug Wrap tape around the barrel near the end of the forearm to support and center the barrel in the channel.
Verifying Everything Fits Before Bedding Is Applied Clay: Modeling clay is not always necessary but can fill in areas of the receiver you don’t want epoxy to flow into.
Modeling clay, used to dam off the areas the epoxy must stay out of. Release Agent Application: Use a thin layer of high-quality release agent (e.g. Brownells Acra-Release, kiwi shoe polish) on all metal surfaces that will contact epoxy. Avoid thick agents that can impede a tight bedding fit.
Release Agent Is Very Important Don't Forget To Apply Before Bedding We also apply release agent or kiwi wax to the action screws.
Paste wax on the action screws so they release cleanly from the bedding.
Mix, Install and Seat
Epoxy Mixing:
Use high-quality epoxies like Acraglas, Marine-Tex, or other firearm bedding compounds.
Read and abide by the directions for mixing proportions according to the manufacturer.
Measuring the bedding compound before mixing. Mix thoroughly; when you think it's enough, mix a bit longer to ensure proper curing.
Mixing the compound thoroughly. Streaks mean an uneven cure. Colors can also be applied to certain manufacturers epoxy at this time. We add dye after so we can see that the epoxy has been mixed properly the dye may hide that if done at the same time.
Pillar Installation:
Fill the pillar holes with epoxy.
Coat the pillars generously with epoxy and insert them into the stock.
Applying Epoxy to the Stock:
Spread a thick layer over the entire bedding area, ensuring the recoil lug recess is filled.
Compound laid into the stock cavity, ready for the action. Large medical syringes can be used or a plastic bag with the corner cut similar to a cake decorating bag makes for an efficient and cleaner way to apply the bedding compound.
A syringe used to place compound into the deeper pockets.
Seating the Action:
Place the barreled action into the stock.
Install the trigger guard and action screws or you can also used inletting screws with a tapered end where the screw head would be to keep the pillars centered in the pillars.
Two pillars turned to length, ready to be set in the stock. Tighten screws lightly until the action contacts the pillars, then back off slightly to prevent inducing stress.
Alignment and Support:
Verify receiver height and that the receiver is parallel to the top of the stock before the epoxy sets.
Use tape around the barrel to center it in the barrel channel (.020" clearance on the sides, .060" on the bottom).
Curing Position:
Position the rifle upright, supporting it as it would be when fired.
Allow it to cure undisturbed for at least 24 hours. This ensures the bedding conforms to the natural flex of the action under the barrel's weight.
Finish and Measure the Result
Cleanup:
Remove excess epoxy from the magazine well, chamber, and bolt lug areas before it fully cures. Cotton swabs are invaluable at this point. Depending on the epoxy you used you can use vinegar, acetone, or another product to remove epoxies from areas on you firearm. Just make sure it will not damage finishes on the firearm.
Trimming the squeeze out from around the receiver before it fully cures.
Disassembly:
After curing, carefully remove the action from the stock. You may have to give the bottom of the barrel a pop on your work bench to break it free.
Degrease and clean all bedding surfaces to eliminate release agent residue.
Files work for removing epoxy from the top of the stock where it meets the action. They also work on the inside of the stock as well. We put a slight taper on the lug areas with a file. Chisels can also be used. Be careful of chipping large pieces off than you want when removing epoxy. If you have access to a mill this will make the job easier and look better as well.
Drilling the stock for the pillars, clamped square in the vise.
Stress Measurement:
Reassemble the rifle and perform stress tests using a dial indicator.
Our standard is less than .001" of measured stress. If it does not hit that number, we do it again.
A dial gauge set up to measure the result rather than eyeball it.
Competition Bedding: The Second Pass
For those seeking the pinnacle of bedding perfection, a secondary bedding process can further eliminate microscopic gaps caused by epoxy shrinkage (approximately 0.1%).
This method involves:
Second Bedding Application:
Apply a thin layer of a low-viscosity epoxy (e.g. Brownells Steel-Bed or Devcon F-2 Liquid Aluminum) over the existing bedding.
Use a thin release agent to ensure a tight fit.
Benefits:
Eliminates any residual looseness.
Provides a near "glue-in" level of rigidity while allowing action removal.
Enhances consistency in barrel vibrations, leading to improved accuracy.
Action-Specific Bedding Considerations
Savage Actions
Rear Action Screw Issue: The factory pillar often lacks support on the back half, leading to action bending when tightened.
Two stocks, wood and synthetic, with pillars set. Solution:
Fabricate a custom pillar with full contact around the screw.
An original Savage pillar beside the replacement we machined. Modify the sear for clearance if necessary.
The pillars laid out before installation. Bed the action full-length to distribute stress evenly.
The stock with the action area cleaned out and ready.
Sako Actions
Separate Recoil Lug: Utilizes a lug that fits over a boss on the action.
Solution:
Use a custom recoil lug for custom builds.
Bed the lug solidly into the stock, allowing the action to seat firmly.
Ruger Actions
Angled Front Screw: Can be challenging due to its non-standard alignment.
Solution:
Install a short front pillar at the correct angle.
Proceed with bedding as usual.
Winchester and Mauser Actions
Secondary Recoil Lug Issue: Bedding vertical surfaces at the center or rear can create unintended recoil points.
Solution:
Leave clearance in these areas during bedding.
Ensure the primary recoil lug remains the sole point of recoil absorption.
Practical Tips and Common Pitfalls
Mixing Epoxy
Thorough Mixing: Inadequate mixing can lead to incomplete curing.
Tip: Mix until uniform, then mix a bit longer to be certain.
Release Agent
Avoiding Bonding: Failure to apply release agent properly can result in the action bonding to the stock.
Tip: Apply a thin, even layer over all potential contact areas.
Keeping the Action Aligned
Feeding and Receiver Height: Verify these before the epoxy sets to prevent functional issues.
Barrel Centering: Use tape to center the barrel in the channel during curing.
A Five-Minute Check You Can Do Tonight
Unload the rifle and check it twice. Pull it out of the stock and look at the two action screw holes from the inside. A metal ring flush with the bedding surface is a pillar. Bare wood or plastic is not, whatever the catalog said when you bought it.
Then look at the barrel channel with the action back in and the screws tight. Slide a dollar bill along both sides of the barrel from the fore-end back to the receiver. If it stops anywhere, the barrel is touching the stock, and a barrel that is touching is a barrel whose point of impact moves with the weather.
Neither check proves you need bedding. Both of them tell you whether the stock is a suspect worth investigating before you spend money anywhere else.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is pillar bedding, in plain terms?
Two solid metal sleeves are set into the stock where the action screws pass through it, so the screws clamp against metal instead of against wood or plastic. The rest of the bedding is a layer of epoxy that makes the stock an exact copy of the underside of the action. Together they stop the rifle from moving between shots.
Will pillar bedding definitely make my rifle more accurate?
No. Done badly it makes a rifle worse, because misaligned pillars and epoxy cured under tension lock stress into the action. Done correctly it removes a source of inconsistency. It is a repeatability job, not a magic accuracy job.
Do I need full bedding, or are pillars enough on their own?
Pillars alone solve compression at the screws and nothing else. Full bedding solves the fit of the whole action. On a rifle you care about, the two go together, and pillars without bedding is the half measure most factory stocks already ship with.
How do I know whether my rifle is already pillar bedded?
Pull the action out and look at the screw holes from inside the stock. A pillar shows as a metal ring, usually aluminum, flush with the bedding surface. Bare wood or plastic around the screw hole means no pillars, whatever the catalog said.
How do I test my own rifle for bedding stress?
Clamp the rifle with the barrel free floating, put a dial indicator on the barrel ahead of the fore-end, then loosen and tighten the front action screw while you watch the needle. Any movement, vertical or horizontal, is stress. There should be none.
What is an acceptable amount of bedding stress?
Our standard is under 0.001 inch of movement. If a job does not hit that number, we do it again. Anything you can see moving on an indicator is enough to change bolt lug contact and barrel harmonics.
Why is my rifle still inaccurate after a bedding job?
Usually stress, from misaligned pillars, uneven bedding surfaces, or screws torqued down during cure. The second most common answer is that bedding was never the problem, and the mount or the ammunition was.
How tight should action screws be after bedding?
Consistency matters more than the exact figure. The whole point of pillars is that the same torque produces the same clamp every time, because there is no soft material left to compress. Use the same number every time and write it down.
What are pillars made of, and does the material matter?
Aluminum or stainless. Aluminum is what we turn in house because it machines cleanly and is stable enough for the job. What matters far more than the alloy is that the pillar is the right length, square on both faces, and concentric with the screw.
Does a synthetic or laminated stock still need bedding?
Often yes. Laminate and quality synthetic are more stable than walnut, which is why they get a thinner epoxy layer, 1/16 to 1/8 inch instead of 1/8 to 1/4. Stable is not the same as correctly shaped, and factory inletting is cut loose on purpose.
Does a chassis rifle need pillar bedding?
Usually not in the same way. A proper chassis is already a rigid metal V-block, which is doing the job pillars do in a stock. What it still needs is verification, because a chassis can be machined off just like anything else.
What epoxy do you use for pillar bedding?
Acraglas, Marine-Tex or a comparable firearm bedding compound. For a second pass on a competition job, a low viscosity product such as Steel-Bed or a liquid aluminum epoxy fills the shrinkage from the first layer, which is around a tenth of a percent.
How long does bedding epoxy need to cure?
At least 24 hours, undisturbed, with the rifle upright and supported the way it sits when fired. Rushing the cure or moving the rifle mid cure is how a job that measured right on the bench goes soft in the field.
Can pillar bedding be undone?
The epoxy can be cut out and the stock re-bedded, which is routine. Pillars can be removed but it is destructive to the stock around them. The practical answer is that bedding is a one way door you should walk through deliberately.
Can I pillar bed a rifle myself?
With a drill press, a lathe or a source of correctly made pillars, a dial indicator and the patience to let epoxy cure, yes. The two failure modes are drilling the pillar holes freehand and forgetting release agent, and the second one glues an action into a stock.
Does bedding help a factory rifle, or only a custom?
Factory rifles are where it helps most, because factory inletting is cut wide to fit a range of actions and many stocks still carry a fore-end pressure pad. A custom action in a quality stock starts much closer to right.
Bring Us the Rifle. We Ship Nationwide.
We work on rifles from across the country. Customers ship barreled actions and complete rifles to us in Chandler, MN for bedding jobs, diagnostics, and custom builds. We ship everything back when the work is done. If your rifle has a bedding issue and you cannot find a local shop with the equipment to diagnose it properly, that is not a reason to leave it unfixed.
If your rifle is not shooting the way it should, there is a reason, and it is often not the barrel. We see rifles every week where bedding is inducing stress, action alignment is off, and torque consistency is gone. Our accuracy diagnostic is $150. We shoot it, measure it, and hand you a graded report with the price of every option before you decide anything.
Call Redleg Company at 507-677-6007, or bring it in. 430 Main Avenue, Chandler, Minnesota. Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. Full service list and current pricing at www.redlegguns.com/services-offered.
Take Your Reloading to the Next Level
Ready to improve your brass prep, shrink your groups, and make your precision rifle shoot like a laser? Download the Redleg Reloading Sheets and start keeping records that tell you something.
Last updated September 2026. Based on rifles built, tested and diagnosed by Redleg Company, Chandler, Minnesota.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: The content provided in this article is intended solely for informational purposes and is expressly designed for use by trained and experienced gunsmiths or individuals with advanced technical knowledge in firearm accurizing. Any application of the techniques, materials, or processes described herein carries inherent risks, including but not limited to damage to firearms, personal injury, or property damage. Redleg Company, its owners, agents, and affiliates assume no liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from the use or misuse of the information provided. The reader is solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws governing the handling, modification, and maintenance of firearms. All firearm work should be conducted with the utmost caution, and it is strongly recommended that individuals unfamiliar with these processes consult with a certified professional. By proceeding with the instructions or suggestions outlined in this article, the reader acknowledges and accepts these risks.
Comments