This is an extract from Shooting USA's interview with Mid Tompkins reference precision hand loading:

Mid On Ammo

Mid does not use practice ammo. “If it isn’t the best ammo he owns, the shooter learns absolutely nothing because they don’t know—when they shoot an 8, if they shot it, the ammo shot it, or the gun shot it.” Mid is perhaps remarkably nonchalant about prepping his brass, but he bases his opinions on years of experimenting. Yes, he trims brass to length, but feels that a thousandth or two difference among cases isn’t all that critical for Long Range competition. Nor does he worry about uniforming primer pockets and flash holes. “It may make a difference in benchrest shooting, but it darn sure doesn’t make a difference in our shooting, especially from 600 yards.”

Mid chooses match bullets from Sierra and Berger but doesn’t use VLD-style bullets. He “soft-seats” them about finger-tight in the cases and lets the barrel seat them to depth.


Full interview here: https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2016/...on-w-tompkins/