Robert, I'm not about to guess the cause but yes, the Federal Top Gun hulls have a fiber base wad. I have heard reports of this wad separating and lodging in barrels but have never experienced it. I reload a lot of these hulls and have never had a problem even after three or four reloadings. But then again every time I open a gun and extract a hull I peek down the bores....

Try to go back to the range and look for a empty without a base wad.

John McCain is my war hero.