Savage Model 40 - to Bed or Not?

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A NEW SAVAGE MODEL 40 IN .22 HORNET. IT SHOOTS GOOD AND I LIKE IT. MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH BEDDING. SHOULD I BED THE RECEIVER? AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW IT HAS AN EXTREMELY LONG ROUND RECEIVER AND HAS A LAMINATED WOOD STOCK. DO YOU THINK BEDDING WOULD HELP IT?
 

I would definitely bed it. Properly bedding the receiver is extremely unlikely to have any negative consequences or degrade the accuracy of your rifle. It can, however, insure that your receiver is perfectly seated in the stock with no stress or tension placed upon it. This alone could and most likely will enhance the accuracy potential of this rifle. Again, I would bed it!

 NOTE: The following content first appeared in Shotgun News in 2010. It is from a featured section titled Ask the Gunsmith, where readers were able to submit their questions to master gunsmith Reid Coffield.