Not sure where the break in understanding lies, so I'll back way up. First you need to understand what the recoil lug and mortice are (I warned you I was backing way up).
The recoil lug is the part of the action, or receiver, that transmits recoil forces from the steel parts of the rifle to the stock. On Kimber rifles, the recoil lug is an integral part of the receiver. It is a block of steel directly underneath the front of the receiver that extends down into a rectangular "hole" in the stock. That rectangular hole is the "mortise" I referred to previously. On the Kimber Montana, it is molded into the stock when the stock is made. You can see it plainly when the barreled action is removed from the stock.
When the rifle is assembled, it is critical that the barreled action is 'slid' rearward in the stock so that the rear surface of the recoil lug is seated firmly against the rearward surface in the mortise. This firm contact prevents the barreled action from moving as recoil energy is transmitted from the barreled action to the stock. If there is a gap between the recoil lug and the rearward surface of the mortise, then the action can move in response to recoil energy and accuracy suffers. When I reassemble a rifle after repair or detailed cleaning, I always "thump" the rifle against the floor butt down before tightening the action screws to make sure the recoil lug is seated firmly against the rearward surface of the mortise.
About the screws touching their holes: Kimber rifles are built with steel tubes, or "pillars", glued securely in the holes where the action screws reside. Also, the holes in these pillars are not very much larger than the screws themselves. So, if the holes in these pillars do not precisely align with the threaded holes in the receiver, then tightening the action screws can apply sideways pressure on the stock and actually pull the recoil lug out of contact with the mortise. I have seen it on more than one rifle. That is why the guys here on the campfire are recommending that you "drill-out" the holes in the pillars - to make the holes bigger so the screws don't touch the sides of the hole when everything is tightened. Most of the guys here are quite knowlegeable about such drawbacks in mass-produced rifles and are able (and willing) to fix these issues. A lot of guys that are not "rifle loonies" don't understand such things, and, franlky, should not attempt to fix them if they do. It sucks to screw-up a new $1200 rifle while trying to fix it. Don't ask me how I know that. I do most of my own work, but I have years of experience working in a machine shop doing precise work, as do a lot of the other loonies here at the fire.
There is no shame in not being confident enough to attempt such fixes yourself. It is touchy, precise work, and only people that have experience and apptitude should attempt it. If you are not comfortable working on your rifle, definitely send it back to Kimber. But even that is no guarantee. People have varying abilities, even people that work for gun manufacturers.
Does any of this make sense to you?
