I've added shim washers to the lever pack to tighten them up. That's a trial and error thing. I usually did it on the workbench where I could bolt on the shifter to a transmission and try it out first.
And let me tell ya, if you think a Hurst shifter is sloppy, some of the other brands available back in the day like Mr Gasket, or the factory Inland shifters were even more sloppy feeling than a Hurst.
Compared to today's stick cars, where a lot of them are top loader transmissions or use some sort of metal gate, an old technology Hurst will feel a bit sloppier. A competition plus shifter will feel somewhat tighter than a standard Hurst shifter. You can also bypass the rubber bushings in the handle and make the handle a bolt in deal by drilling it through, which will also tighten it up, but may transmit some rattles back into the cabin.
I'd definitely get the pit pack too and use new bushings and clips throughout.