7mm Mag build question

[SeniorChief USN]

I have just received all of the components needed to build my 7mm mag. The parts that will be used are a Savage 110 action, Criterion 26" SS match 7mm mag barrel, Rifle Basix trigger, recoil lug and barrel nut from NSS, and a manners T4A stock. So here is my question. The stock already has pillars installed. Is the pillar bedding going to be enough, or do I need to bed the action as well with devcon (or similar compound)? Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

[bootsmcguire]

FWIW, 2 out of 3 of my most accurate rifles (better than 1/2 MOA) are pillar bedded only. I would just try it first and see how she shoots, after you have a load and feel confident with it then you can bed it if you feel the need.

[SeniorChief USN]

Thanks bootsmcguire. Anyone else happen any suggestions or opinions?

[rmdailey]

This is really a follow-up question for boots, could bedding the action hurt anything? If my rifle shot that well I probably wouldn't worry about it either, but I'd be curious if bedding would make an improvement. I wouldn't think properly bedding the action might not improve a good gun but wouldn't hurt it , as I've never read a post titled "I bedded my action and now my rifle wont shoot."

[thomae]

I agree with boots in this case.

If it were me, I'd think about the answer to "What's your desired end state?"
If your goal is to have a rifle that shoots well, and your rifle already shoots well, then you don't need to do anything. "Why mess with something that isn't broken?"

If your rifle does not shoot as precisely as you wish, you could consider bedding as one of many things you could do to improve its accuracy.

If your goal is to have a rifle that is bedded, then by all means bed the rifle. I, too have never read the post "I bedded my action and now my rifle wont shoot."

Personally, If I have to install pillars, I'm probably going to bed it as well as I do it all in one operation. If I bought a stock that was already pillar bedded, I might not, until I first saw how it shot.

If you mess up the bedding, you hog it out with a dremel or similar and start over.

[bootsmcguire]

This is really a follow-up question for boots, could bedding the action hurt anything? If my rifle shot that well I probably wouldn't worry about it either, but I'd be curious if bedding would make an improvement. I wouldn't think properly bedding the action might not improve a good gun but wouldn't hurt it , as I've never read a post titled "I bedded my action and now my rifle wont shoot."

There is really no good reason not to bed your stock if you want to. For me, if the rifle shoots to or beyond my expectations without then I don't just because (as thomae said) if it ain't broke don't fix it, plus it keeps the stock more universal in that if I want it to go on another action it will very simply with no worry of "will it fit the same?"

For me I have seen bigger improvements in accuracy (in a pillar bedded stock) with upgrading the trigger and going to precision ground lugs and barrel nuts. After those things are done and I still want/need to go further then I would look at epoxy bedding. I could see going ahead with also epoxy bedding if the rifle were chambered in a "monster-magnum" caliber, as a way to possibly help the added stresses to the stock of the higher recoiling caliber (like anything in a RUM or bigger for example).

[SeniorChief USN]

Thanks for the input. The manners stock already had pillars installed when I purchased it from Stockys Stocks. I was just curious if epoxy bedding was worth the extra cost. I will see how the gun shoots without the epoxy bedding first, then decide. Thanks again for the info.