exactly.
not only tighter, but also better filled out on the edges.
for example Remington sells three tiers of target shot shells.
1. their gun clubs.
a barely works primer, good rxp type wad and 2% antimony shot. [plus a hull with a tin plated steel head]
the shot size isn't very consistent, and it isn't polished.
found on sale for 5.00 a box pretty frequently.
2. their clay and field line.
they have a better primer, the RXP wad, a brass plated steel head, smooth slick hull, 4% antimony shot.
the shot percentage is closer to the correct size, with a much smaller variance.
about 7$ a box.
3. their STS and nitro shells.
a bit thicker more supple plastic hull with a brass head, STS premier primer [higher brisance, brass anvil and face where the firing pin hits] the figure 8 wad, and shot that is 6% antimony.
the shot is polished and graphite and is very consistent in size.
usually around 8$ a box.
Winchester is about the same.[almost exactly the same]
USA's, universals. [Browning's shells are in this lower category too no matter what they charge]
pretty much junk,, but cheap.
super target. [semi kind of close internally to the AA's]
and their AA's.
same hull scenario's also, the AA has the premier plastic, better wads, shot, and a brass head.
Federal is also about the same except their top end shells have a little over 3% antimony.
they get their shot from Rio BTW.
and was having RIO make many of their loads up until about a year or so back.
their promo pack walmart hulls were just purple Rio's with an 8 point crimp instead of a 6 point crimp only with a bit different hull make-up [thinner more brittle tube and a bit harder steel head] but they both used the much larger Rio primer size [.245 instead of the 241-243 US and cheddite size]
Federals gold medal hulls now have a steel head, and only use 3% antimony shot.
the only ones that still use a brass head is their paper hulls [there is some speculation that won't last much longer]
Estate was also connected to Federal.
their yellow-red boxes were basically the same hulls as the top gun hulls but had a better wad.
these have both changed recently also, the wound paper base wad is gone, and they are using a harder steel brass plated head now same as the promo packs used before.
the white box Estates actually were being imported from France and used a Cheddite hull and primer, they used completely different [upgraded] components than their red/yellow box namesakes.