sbhooper,
First, I'm a big fan of Hornady Interlocks and have used them to take several species of big game in weights from 100-250 grains and calibers from .25 to .35. The ones I've recovered have averaged about 50% weight retention, but two separated core and jacket. Once it didn't matter because the animal died anyway, but it did matter on the other animal, which had to be shot again because the first didn't make it into the chest after hitting the shoulder joint.
Second, Nosler Partitions are NOT made to shed the "front half" of the bullet. They're designed to lose the front core, which isn't anywhere near half the weight. The models at the smaller end of the line-up, in caliber and weight, typically lose about 30-35% of their weight, and the heaviest models lose around 10-20%.
This makes a considerable difference in penetration over the Hornady Interlock. I once shot a mule deer buck facing me in lodgepole timber with a 140-grain 7mm Partition. The bullet didn't exit but I couldn't find it inside the buck's innards. Found it a year later when biting into a round steak, retaining 60% of its weight. Also once shot a 200-grain Nosler Partition through the middle of the big joint of a 6-point elk's shoulder as the bull quartered toward me, and the bullet exited the rear of the ribcage on the other side, several feet of penetration AFTER breaking the thickest chunk of bone in an elk's body.
As noted earlier, Hornady Interlocks are good bullets, but they are NOT Nosler Partitions.
