I have a good supply of Monarch steel cased 55 grain FMJ (steel jacketed) ammo that shoots real good out of my rifle. It would seem it would do just fine for neck and below the ear hits along with any spine hits in the shoulder area. But I have never used the steel jacketed 55 gr. FMJ's on anything. Do they still start to tumble after 4 inches or so like the Federal XM193 round? I don't think they will break apart like that round does but maybe. Anyone know?

I don't think tumbling or breakup is an issue on CNS hits. I bought a couple boxes of the Barnes bronze spire point boat tail solids way back when and had great success with them in a 22 centerfire. What the bullet didn't rupyue was shredded by bone schrapnel. I would sure stay away from body shots, though.

I once shot a coyote 7 times in the chest with my b-in-law looking on.I guess he died later.From that day on I don't shoot fmjs at anything that is alive.Just my exp.Good Luck

You will likely see very inconsistent results. How quickly the bullet tumbles and if it does before exiting is going to be a hit or miss proposition. The 193 round isn't known for consistent performance. Hornady has a good report under the law enforcement section of its website that is worth a look.
Hornady terminal performance report

academy had the monarch stuff on for $3.99/box.... i bought 20 boxes so i could play with my RRA 24" stainless... best i could get was 2-3" groups at 100 yds.... not a happy camper... im looking for some lake city to try...

Thats why I am considering using that ammo. In my AR it shoots like it does in your rifle, in my NEF single shot it shoots into an inch and a half at 100 yards. Go figure. As for the XM193 not being known for consistant performance the lots I have used were definitly consistant in their tumbling and breaking apart. My shots will be at less than 75 yards and will involve spine or neck shots. I also noticed this lot is a lot cleaner burning than previous lots I have played with.

I don't have any sympathy for hogs, but I think anything you shoot deserves better than using a FMJ. Without doubt they will kill them graveyard dead with good shot placement but sometimes they move at the last second. I dunno about your hogs but the ones I have around are almost always moving. A fraction off for a spine shot with a FMJ and you will lose the hog. I would shoot one with a FMJ if that's all I had with me and the opportunity arose (although I passed on some hogs not long ago when all I had was a .223 and they were moving in heavy grass), but I wouldn't set out to hunt them or anything much larger than a squirrel with that type of bullet, nor do I think you should.

Lots of soft points available for the .223.

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and will involve spine or neck shots

If you're taking CNS shots only, who cares what bullet? It's immaterial.

quote:

but I think anything you shoot deserves better than using a FMJ.

If it's not a central nervous system shot, I agree 100%.

LWD

The hog's will be shot at close range eating corn at night. actually the cns on a hog is pretty large, the spine around the shoulder blade, neck and lower back part of the head are big targets under 75 yards. I agree there will be shots I won't take. There is a common misconception that all FMJ's just drill thru. The boat tailed pointed versions generally tumble after a bit of penetration and many will break up.

If you're so confident in the bullet and your ability, why ask the question?

Actually I wanted to know how the steel jacketed fmjbt bullets act when they hit, wether or not they break up when they start tumbling. Knowing this would open up low chest hits as a possibility but if they don't I am not going to depend on hitting the pigs lower leg bone to get the bone chips flying. Federals XM193 is jacketed thinly with gilding metal and it reliably tumbles and breaks up.

They tend to be more brittle but that is a generalization and may not be specific to one particular product or lot.

They would work fine for CNS, but as Gatogordo pointed out, they are perpetual motion machines. I don't like a bullet that limits the shot I can take, but that's just me.

I have shot only two hogs in the last 5 years that were not CNS hits. Hunting at night if you let them run at all into the oakbrush your not going to recover them till the next day so they spoil. Both the chest hit hogs were killed in the daytime on the run with a 30-06 and 165 gr. corelokts.