The additional bolt lift required by 3 and 4 lug actions is only a potential problem when shooting from the bench, off of sand bags in which case the additional force required has the potential of upsetting the rifle's position on the bags thereby reducing shot to shot consistency of rifle support, and potential speed in shooting a group due to the time required to reposition the rifle.
On the other hand the late Creighton Audette,a highpower shooter, gunsmith and author of national reputation) demonstrated and wrote about the effect that the extent and location of bolt head support influence accuracy, particularly when less than perfect brass is used. He even went so far as to say that a Remington 700 has an advantage over a Winchester model 70 in this regard because of wider lugs providing support around more of the circumference of the bolt face.
Many types of shooting are not done from the bench, over sand bags, may not involve multiple shot at the same target, and in many instances, that, combined with the lack of availability of really good brass in many of the calibers used, gives a theoretical advantage to 3 and 4 lug actions in those applications.
Also, you may find it relevant that the greatest Benchrest shooter of all time, Tony Boyer, and another Benchrest great, last years NBRSA Shooter of the Year, Lester Bruno, have, this past season, been shooting BAT 3 lug actions. It would seem that they have been able to successfully deal with a slight increase in bolt lift with some degree of success. BAT has gone to a roller cocking piece to minimize the effect.
This is not to say that there has been a mass exodus away from the two lug action in Benchrest. The past and current performance of two lug actions, and the excellent quality of the brass used, as well as the previously mentioned nature of the rifle supports and course of fire would seem to indicate that there might be less advantage to 3 and certainly 4 lugs, in this application than in others.
