Gunsmithing Pillar bedding a Remington Model 7

[redneckbmxer24]

I have a Remington Model 7 in 300SAUM with factory laminated stock. The barrel is supposed to sit on a pressure point on the forend tip but the forend is so out of whack it doesn't sit down in the channel and instead rests on points on the side of the barrel channel and is not even at all. It shoots ok for a hunting rifle (1.5MOA with factory loads) but it could obviously be better. The last time I free floated a 700 in a laminated stock it shot like shit until I bedded the action.

I bought a set of adjustable alluminum pillars from brownells and they are the correct length and fit the action but the rear pillar is so wide that it won't work with the stock. I want to use the laminated stock because I like it but I'm not sure what my options are. Has anybody else done this or have any suggestions? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[JJones75]

use a lot smaller pillar. They don't have to be real big to do the job.

 

[Straight Shooter]

I would drill the stock. You need room for epoxy too.

 

[knockemdown]

I''ve bedded a Seven where I drilled out the stock at each action screw location and poured pillars with the same MarineTex used to bed the rifle. Made a set of 'stockmakers screws' to use, and lubed them up with release agent (Johnson's Paste Wax). When the bedding cured,just backed out the stockmaker screws and drilled the center of the epoxy pillars out for the action screws to fit with some leeway.

Pics shows an old AA battery used to dam up the area and form the shape of the pillar where material was removed.
Stockmaker screw coming up thru to maintain integrity of the action screw location...

In my case, I poured a front epoxy pillar also, and bedded the bottom metal.

When the pillars are poured & hard, just relieve out your stock and bed as you would normally...

In your case, you can still use the front pillar, as designed, and pour ya one for the rear...
Good luck!

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Thanks, I'm going to do exactly that. That even looks like the same laminated stock my rifle has.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Knockemdown, I started the project last night by removing the pressure point and straightening the barrel channel. I got it to where it's perfectly straight and floated. I was ready to get the stuff to prep for the pillar job and noticed I was out of Devcon, I don't think there's enough left in my jar to do even the pillars let alone the bedding. So I ask, is there any reason to use marinetex over Devcon for doing the pillars? Also does marinetex shrink less than Devcon by any chance? I know my bedding jobs don't have air pockets and there always seems to be a few places that will shrink a little more than others and give me some small voids around the top edge I have to go back and fix because of my OCD.

 

[knockemdown]

Being familiar with using it for boat repair, I've just always ever used MarineTex to bed a stock. Haven't noticed any shrinkage at all and it's very easy to work with. Have a bunch of popsicle sticks on hand, and some coffee stirrers to work the bedding down into the pillar locations. The coffee stirrers will insure you don't have any voids/air pockets in them...

Good luck!

 

[mlh29]

Just an FYI YRMV, I have a rem 7 stainless in 308 from the back door of the custom shop. It is in a HS stock. It was fully free floated in that stock, skim bedded with devcon, to inlude 1.25 after recoil lug. I had/ chased accuracy issues, poishift etc for ever. I ended up putting a pressure pad under the barrel( think with about 8lbs pressue as I used a water filled milk jug to pull barrel from stock while devcon set up..) That cured it and now will shoot 3 into about .600 and 4 into .750 5 brings it to a solid 1moa.
On another 7 in 260 with the lam wood stock. I wanted pillars as well. Factory pillars were too big.. Solution, carbon fiber arrow shaft drops from the local archery shop, they come in various sizes I was able to putone inside anothe rto double them up, So far, my family member has been happy with the results, and reports no POI shift in the past 4 years. Think totalcost was about 5 in devcon and a fewhrs of playing gun DR>
Good luck. follow up and post what works

 

[jglenn]

if I remember correctly Ernie the gunsmith has Aluminum pillars for the Mdl 7