Yep. Not dead set down, maybe 5 or 10 degrees slight slant, but still clearly facing down.
Yeah I know what you're talking about. Happened on my first pump way back when. Unless you hold firm pressure pressing into the zerk with the grease gun while pumping, it squishes out the sides. Never happened after that first pump though. Wiped it all off and did it again.
Here's an after greasing clip from just now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MozSatqw4FU
I'd say about 80-90% of the noise is gone while the car is hot and idle, also when shutting off it spins down quieter and doesn't have that horrible grinding sound in the last few seconds before stopping.
Here's the one again from earlier in the week before the 8 shots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gMXGTV96SY