Step 3 Once you are ready to use the gun, and you have selected the appropriate screw for the job, getting the screw started can be a challenge, especially with longer screws. First, there are times when drilling a pilot hole is very important: if the wood you are drilling into is very hard if you are putting the screw in at a sharp angle if you are putting the screw in at the very edge of a piece of wood if working with small (3/4" or less thickness) pieces of wood, or with moldings If you do need to drill pilot holes, set up two drivers--one with the drill bit and one with the screw bit. The drill should be about 1/2 the diameter of the screw. If you use a drill that is too large, the screw won't hold. Most of the time, however, you won't need to drill pilot holes.   To start a screw, hold the screw loosely in one hand and trigger the gun with the other. Let the screw spin freely in your hand, yet keep the screw on target. Apply pressure with the screw gun until you feel the screw "bite," then you can let go of the screw. TRYING TO START SCREWS, ESPECIALLY LONG ONES, WITHOUT USING THIS METHOD IS JUST ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE! ! !