When I did my industrial training years ago I had occasion to drill large holes, many, many large holes up to oooh, about 1.5inches, and I was instructed to never use a pilot hole because the drill would run truer. I forgot this and on my lathe which I bought about 6 years ago I would drill a pilot and was disappointed when I found that the large drill would wobble as it drilled (I use Dormer drills). Now I use a centre drill to just remove the centre, non-cutting part of the big drill, but I don't go deep, just below the surface, and then the big drill now ploughs through with no wobble and straight as a die.
If you don't have the power to go through with the big drill, then drill a pilot, but only of a diameter equal to the centre, non-cutting part of the big drill, so it will be quite small.
Charles