Boyd's Bedding questions???

I have a 10FCP-SR in 6.5CM that I have been shooting for about a month now. Groups have been really good, but I am not digging the AccuStock. I bought a Boyd's Pro Varmint and plan to Marine Tex bed it. My question is: I have pillars for it, but the rear lug I am afraid, will not have much stock meat left towards the trigger well after drilling and could split out. With a laminate stock how crucial are pillars? Do I plug the rear hole and re-drill for reduced splitting? I don't want to skip that step and have to clean out the bedding afterwards just to pillar and re-bed it. Any help from you guy is much appreciated.

I've not had any luck using a hand drill and bit to open up the stock holes for pillars in Boyd's laminated stocks. Hand drills and bits will wobble and grab, splitting out the laminate wood. I don't have access to a drill press. I use a Dremel tool and small wood router bit to carefully open up the holes for pillars.

I have pillared and bedded a lot of these. I use a hand drill and lamp rod for pillars. The rear always splits and I don't worry about it anymore. I just grind away slots for metal reinforcement pins in the front and rear of the pillar and epoxy them into place. I use a metal coat hanger or heavy duty brass package staples. Shape them like a staple, drill holes on either end of each slot and press them down into the wood and fill with epoxy. I do this because I figure if I don't it will eventually just split on its own anyhow. Might as well "fix it" when doing the pillaring and not worry about it.

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Originally Posted by foxx

I have pillared and bedded a lot of these. I use a hand drill and lamp rod for pillars. The rear always splits and I don't worry about it anymore. I just grind away slots for metal reinforcement pins in the front and rear of the pillar and epoxy them into place. I use a metal coat hanger or heavy duty brass package staples. Shape them like a staple, drill holes on either end of each slot and press them down into the wood and fill with epoxy. I do this because I figure if I don't it will eventually just split on its own anyhow. Might as well "fix it" when doing the pillaring and not worry about it.

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Do you have any pictures of the staple procedure?

^^^^No, I don't.

Just make a deep groove across the laminates to allow a pin of some sort to lay in it. Then drill holes in each end of the groove so that, rather than just having a straight rod (like re-rod in cement) laying there, you have the ability to bend down the ends of the rod and insert them into the holes. My thought is this will better bind the layers of laminates together.

Wish Boyd's would install pillars in their stocks!!!!!!

I use a 5/8 fosner (sp) bit in my drill press for 1/2 pillars and lots of epoxy, grind out the excess so trigger doesn't bind. I cut the recess on the back pillar after installation with the Dremel and a cutoff disk. I install pillars and bed in 2 steps.

Bill

I have a 2000ish Browning varmint with the laminate stock. They are factory bedded without pillars. I have a few thousand rounds through it and still shoots a one hole group.

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Originally Posted by foxx

^^^^No, I don't.

Just make a deep groove across the laminates to allow a pin of some sort to lay in it. Then drill holes in each end of the groove so that, rather than just having a straight rod (like re-rod in cement) laying there, you have the ability to bend down the ends of the rod and insert them into the holes. My thought is this will better bind the layers of laminates together.

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Thanks Foxx. The lamp rod is ideal as it is threaded and will hold lots of epoxy and should never move. The "staple" is easy to imagine and should likewise hold the laminates together.

A piloted counterbore (with pilot to fit existing holes) is the easiest and most precise way to open up pre-drilled holes for pillars. Follows the existing holes, so no need for precise location on a mill or drill press- it could be done with a hand drill just fine.

As to whether or not it's required, that depends on the level of accuracy desired. Laminate is still "wood", it WILL be affected by humidity and temperature changes.

What you didn't mention, is what's most important IMO- and that's a good, stress-free bedding job for the receiver. I consider that mandatory in a Boyd's stock, pillar bedding optional. Receiver fit isn't going to be precise enough for the receiver not to be stressed when the action screws are torqued without bedding- which will be exacerbated with the environmental conditions.

Thanks everyone for the tips. I think I am going to pillar then bed it. Wish me luck.

You might try applying pressure on the sides of the stock with a c-clamp and maybe a piece of wood under each pad to prevent damage while you drill it out.

Will do Rusty. I plugged the stock with an oak dowel and plan on using a 1/2" forsner bit with super light pressure on my drill press.