TargetTalk

Has anyone realized an accuracy improvement by pillar bedding a 1907 or an equivalent .22 rifle?

I've epoxy bedded several rifles with conventional bedding, not pillar. Conventional bedding is easier to do.

Pillar bedding came about many years ago when the first synthetic stocks had a core that was too soft to resist compressing when the stock screws were tightened. Pillars were made pretty large and from aluminum and steel. After the synthetic stocks were made with hard core material in the receiver area, pillar bedding was no longer needed for them. But those synthetic stocks shot so well that most folks felt that even solid wood stocks needed to be pillar bedded. Note that when the stock screws are torqued properly, pillar bedding ends up with one contact point for each pillar whereas conventional bedding has most of the receiver in contact with the epoxy.

Years ago when I got my Anschutz 1911, the dealer and other top smallbore folks suggested how it should be bedded. Its beech factory stock has conventional epoxy (Devcon Plastic Steel) about 1/10th inch thick under the receiver from just in front of the trigger forward under the first 3/4ths inch of the barrel. It was mentioned that somewhere between 20 and 30 inch pounds of torque on both stock screws would be best. I ended up with 22 inch pounds (2.5 Nm). After each day's shooting I loosen the stock screws.

I would think your 1907 would do well by conventional bedding. However, there are top shooters whos Anschutz rifles win big matches and do very well with original factory plain routed out wood bedding.

I have pillar bedded 2 of my son's other target rifles, and never seen a difference in performance. I felt like it was just one more varible taken out of the equation. I like the pillar bedding over the conventional bedding, but realize that a target rifle that should never get the stock soaked with water or oil, probably do not need the pillars. The only rifles I have not put pillars in, in the last 6 or 8 years, was the M1. Anyway, I know some bed and some do not, and figured someone here had seen some definative results. thanks for the reply!