I cut the pillars to length a little long with a hack saw. Then I grind them with a bench grinder or dremel grinder. Finally, I use a flat file to get them FLAT and precisely the length I want them. I put them in place and test fit again and again until both is the height I want.
For drilling holes, I always have used a hand drill. They can be cut pretty big. In fact, they need to be big enough to allow for wiggle room and bedding material to work in and around the pillars. The holes do not have to be perfectly straight, but the pillars need to be straight when installed. Put a couple layers of painters tape around each screw so they do not touch the inside of the pillar walls. When done, the screws will align with the respective holes and the pillars will prevent the screws from compressing the stock material and the screws will not touch the pillars. Again, the holes in the stock need not be perfect, but the pillars must have a big enough inside diameter to not touch the action screws when they are installed, and the pillars should be mounted solidly into the bedding material. If the holes are "real big"and "crooked", they will be filled-n all with bedding material around the pillars and it won't matter, as long as the pillars are straight. (Imagine cementing a flag pole in the ground. Dig a deep and large hole. Fill the hole with cement and place the pole into the cement, making sure the POLE is straight. It doesn't matter if the hole was dug straight or not, if the hole is big enough to allow the pole to be positioned straight in the hole. A lot of cement around the pole, filling the hole, is not a problem.
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