Hi Howie,
First off, thank you for the kind sentiments.
As for the plain jane 175 core-lokts in the 7mag, I think that I used them a long time ago on a hog. The shot was about 100 yards away under a feeder, and the shot was behind the shoulder - where there was no grisle plate to really stop it. Yes, the bullet did fully penetrate, but the hog was only about 100 pounds - no more.
Sure, the heavier the bullet, the less the need for it to be premium. And if shots are under 100 yards, then it really doesn't make that big of a difference. So if i use 160 partitions, then the equivalent might be 175s.
For hogs, I don't think there is a better bullet than the Barnes X, or now the new TSX. That's the ONLY bullet I now use for hogs, especially the larger one. The only exception is that I have also have a .375H&H and I use 300 grain Partitions - what a load! Never had one run yet!
Zachary