the OP said bench rest not hunting and then talks of hunting calibers like comparing apples to peanuts. Doc hit it well enough. why say anything if he is talking hunting.
there are more competitors around than you might think, it is just that we cant teach an old dog new tricks so we dont try.
the centerfire benchrest of 1995 was a far cry from today. the ppc was just coming into it own and VV113 was just being discovered. people neck sized or did not size all, they dumped powder and seated a bullet with their fingers- and could win.
now days a case full of 133 will consist of 30.4 gr and you must full length if you wish to get the case back in the chamber.
most new shooters that try to get 30 gr of 133 in a case will pour powder all over the table the first time they try.
everyone thought you had to neck size to keep the case straight in the chamber but as record after record fell it became clear that full length was the way to go.
one other invention changed the game too. the joystick rest. you see shooters that can get 5 shots off in 10 seconds when the wind is right. and break records doing it, cause if you wait the wind will change. as Doc said, in order for the ammo to chamber with out upsetting the rifle you had to full length.
An interesting observation but in 1995, the PPC had been in use and winning for nearly twenty years. In the mid to late seventies, there were proponents for every technique. Fitted necks, neck sizing, fl sizing, shoulder bumping (especially with the 6BR), were all in use. I used fitted necks in a 6x47 and a PPC and fl sized for the PPC as well. I neck sized for the 6BR. It became obvious, over time, fl sizing was more consistent and easier than other methods. Keep in mind, full length sizing, with these rifles, didn't really alter case dimensions very much. Rifle chamber size was just not that much different than sizing die size so the sizer did little more than touch the body and support the sidewalls as the shoulder was bumped.
I feel that things are being done by much the same methods today as they were 40 years ago but they are being done better. Also, competitors are spending a lot more money to accomplish their goals.
In the end, regardless of the type of shooting, I think one will enjoy the most consistent results by full length sizing. GD
