Pandaman Weapons

The latest of our ‘to the point’ reviews from Joe Reid looks at the recently released Mission Xiaochen Zong 22g. He covers all you need to know in 501 words or less!

Perhaps a release that went a little under-the-radar, Mission Darts showcased Xiaochen Zong’s new weapons of choice alongside the launch of Josh Rock’s and John O’Shea’s new darts back in May last year. A reinvention of many popular grip styles, the darts proved to be a big hit with darts collectors and fans alike – a true testament to the design and manufacturing team at Mission HQ!

Steel Tip – 22g/24g
Length: 48.00mm
Width: 6.80mm/7.00mm
Tungsten Percentage: 95%
Points: Mission Glide Black 32mm
Stems: Mission GripLock Black Short
Flights: Mission Solo No. 2 Xiaochen Zong
Price: £67.95

Xiaochen’s darts appear, at a glance, to be two completely different darts fused into one. The rear of the dart is a reinvention of a knurled grip, with a style I can only describe as inspired by fish scales. Mission themselves describe it as ‘bamboo shaped micro cuts’, which offer a truly unique feel. The torpedo-shaped barrel allows you to push against the grip, which allows you to propel the dart with minimal effort involved.

The subtlety of the cuts creates a ‘worn’ feel, enhanced by the black electro PVD coating. The coating I found to be extremely durable, and after a few hours of use, I found only a handful of nicks and scuffs in the barrel, despite my naturally high angle of entry directly opening the darts up to a larger impact area.

The subtlety of the rear grip directly contrasts the grip at the front of the barrel, which is a far more aggressive, razor-like style. The dual-ring razor grip, inlaid with a striking blue electro PVD coating, offers greater control and balance, allowing rear-grippers the opportunity to rest their middle finger, while securing it in place well enough to balance the dart.

I will admit, I found the supplied setup extremely difficult to throw with. The combination of short stems and 32mm points really didn’t work for me with the barrel shape. The shorter, thicker barrel, along with the short stems and points felt unbalanced, and I couldn’t find a consistent angle of entry.

Having followed Xiaochen for a while in the PDC, I knew back at Unicorn he used 38mm points and medium stems, and so I decided to change the setup to match, copying (to the best of my ability), the setup Xiaochen had used to hit a 9-darter on the PDC China Pro Tour. This change, now using 38mm Mission Glide Points and Xiaochen’s own L-Style flights, complimented the darts well, and after a short while, found a high degree of consistency while using them.

For those that wish to change their own setup, Red Dragon, Darts Corner as well as a number of reputable darts retailers such as St Helens Dart Shop and DB Darts, offer a large number of Mission accessories, for you to truly personalise your own set-ups.

That concludes the 501 Review! A huge thank you to Mission Darts for sending these out to Darts World, Mission, Winmau, Red Dragon and all who support my reviews

—–ENDS—–

Words: Joe Reid

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