In general theory, yes.
Stop action photos of a cylinder choke show a 'mushroom' effect, so the leading pellets certainly get a head start.
The lower part of the stack though would get more deformation from acceleration and might well head for the edge faster than the rounder pellets, so it's hard to say.
Were we to test this, pellet hardness would be a major variable.
WS16: We 'destroy' (actually convert) matter on a daily basis, and stars certainly do so. 1+1+1+1 does not quite =4. Energy and mass are quite interchangeable according to that old white haired dude, so I have no problem envisioning a process where matter condenses from energy. I think Arp's observations of what are obviously opposite direction quasar ejecta from Seyferts is quite telling, and what we are looking at there is 'young' matter. Mainstream science needs to 'look' at the actual data and not try to fit everything into a refuted theory by inventing ad hoc physics. Unfortunately, there's no money in it.
