Man Kung XB 23 Anaconda shooting and testing

Man Kung XB 23 Anaconda shooting and testing

The Man Kung brand originates from East Asian Taiwan.
The first crossbows under the Man Kung brand were built in 1988 and were based on Western models. 
Because today we are going to focus on reflex crossbows. We will stay with the models and the current production of the reflex types.
The first models were the MK-80A4AL (still sold today), MK-150A1H and MK-250A1W. 

The Man Kung MK-80A4AL is a small reflex pistol crossbow (inspired by the Barnett Comando Pistol crossbow) that is suitable for hobby shooting at ranges up to 15 meters.  The MK-80A4AL has the advantage of a lever-operated tensioning mechanism, which by breaking the lever and then returning it, tensions the crossbow with minimal effort. The crossbow is equipped with a safety and adjustable sight, and comes with 3 arrows. The crossbow is often referred to as a “Cobra” in the markets due to its appearance when broken. 
Aluminum chassis, fiberglass bow.
Draw strength: 80 LBS 
Velocity: 160 FPS - 49 m/s 
Accuracy to 15 meters 
Weight: 898 grams 
Length: 50.8 cm 
Width: 41.9 cm

Next came the adult Man Kung MK-150 reflex crossbow and its variant MK-150 A1H (equipped with pistol stock only). The crossbow again shows inspiration from the tried and true Barnett Panzer 2 and its variants. The crossbows were equipped with adjustable mechanical sight, automatic safety, and the landslide was foldable to make the crossbow take up as little space as possible. An arrow quiver could be attached behind the stirrup. The crossbow came with 2 arrows as standard.
Aluminum chassis, fiberglass bow.

150 LBS
Velocity: 210 FPS - 64 m/s
Accuracy up to 45 meters
Weight: 1896 grams
Length: 67.3 cm
Width: 66.0 cm

Currently, Man Kung has 35 models in its production portfolio. Partly it is an evolution of older models, partly it is a completely new type. As a successor of the original simple reflex type Man Kung MK-150, a number of new, lightweight reflex crossbows of its own design have been created.For example, the types Man Kung MK-XB21BK Rip Claw, Man Kung MK-XB23 BK Anaconda, Man Kung MK-XB25BK Spectre, Man Kung MK-XB27BK Hound.

Man Kung MK-XB21BK Rip Claw

Tensile strength: 175 LBS

Speed: 245 FPS - 75 m/s

Accuracy up to 50 meters

Weight: 2250 grams

Length: 77.5 cm

Width: 66.0 cm

Aluminum chassis, fiberglass bow

We have chosen a representative for the test in the form of Man Kung MK-XB 23 Anaconda. Let's see how it performs against the previously tested beginner's reflex crossbows Ek Archery 1 Jaguar and Barnett Wildcat.
Windage: 175 LBS
Speed: 245 FPS - 75 m/s
Accuracy up to 50 meters
Weight: 2350 grams
Length: 78.0 cm
Width: 66.0 cm

Aluminum chassis, fiberglass bow

Setup:

The crossbow will arrive neatly packed with all accessories, necessary tools (Allen wrenches) and according to the instructions you can assemble it in 20 minutes.
The instructions could be bigger and clearer. You only need to fit the caliper and fit the arm/lock. After inserting the shoulder into the crossbow body, it's a good idea to coat the main bolt with threadlocker, otherwise it tends to loosen and needs to be checked once in a while. It takes the most work to use a stringer to put the bowstring on. Make sure the lugs are well seated on the limbs. The crossbow comes basic with mechanical sights. These are really very coarse and inaccurate. We got the basic crosshairs in a set from www.kuše.cz with a fixed 4x32 multi-axis scope. We can use a total of 4 crosshairs on it, plus one aiming point at close range above the crosshairs and a second aiming point at maximum distance below the crosshairs. That is a total of six intentional points. Mounting the optics on the RIS rail is fast, the optics have a very large eye-relief range, so you can find the correct distance of the optics from the eye very easily. You tighten two screws, you're done, you're ready to shoot. 0 

I rate very positively the abundant basic accessories for the crossbow, including stringer, bow retractor, arrow holder, shoulder strap, lubricated bowstring, scope and 4 aluminum arrows.

For example, Ek Archery failed to do this completely with the Jaguar 2

when its own new Jaguar 2 design, replacing the Jaguar 1, suffers from a number of ailments and poor design solutions. For example, the thread in the weakened spot under the arm mounting is not exactly an ideal design...Photos of the cracked Ek Archery Jaguar 2 were supplied to me by František Cerman of kuse.cz with the words "drilling in this spot? You won't understand...So let's see how the Man Kkung MK-23 XB Anaconda is doing.

Construction:

It is a simple one-piece aluminium alloy casting into which a one-piece laminate arm is inserted at the front and a trigger mechanism is inserted at the rear. You add a few plastic parts to the fore-end and stock and the crossbow is ready to go. It really doesn't get much simpler than that.
The head is adequately sized and reinforced in the case of the Anaconda.
No defects will appear here!

The aluminium body has an extension at the front, a head for the placement of the arm and the fitting of a simple “wire” type foot shackle made of small diameter round steel. Simple, lightweight. In the future, it might be worth putting it in bungee or rubberized to prevent chafing, reduce noise or increase grip when winding on hard surfaces. Unfortunately the caliper only stands on a narrow recess and is therefore wobbly. So be careful with a leaning crossbow. The manufacturer could work on this so that the crossbow stands on the full width of the stirrup. The shoulder is laminate with a 175 lb cocking force. You can already see in its profile that it is thicker than the 150 lb arms.

The omnidirectional fibers of the laminate are wrapped in a thick layer of paint labeled “Cross Bow” which protects the shoulder from both the elements, abrasion, damage, and serves as protection for the shooter in the event of delamination or shoulder breakage. The lines in the center of the shoulder are used to visually check for proper centering of the shoulder in the fit.  The arm is attached by one central screw from the front. This presses it through a washer in the head and holds it in the correct position. A simple, clever solution, cover this bolt with thread glue or check it regularly, it has a tendency to loosen..

A sufficiently deep arrow guide groove then continues visibly from the head to the catch itself. The body of the crossbow is very slim and the guide rail itself is just tall enough to accommodate the aforementioned guide groove. At the bottom, it then transitions into a lightweight truss-shaped structure extending from the head to the trigger guard. This stiffens the body itself and makes room for the plastic foregrip. The duralumin frame then transitions into a shaft for the trigger mechanism and, at the bottom, an open trigger guard. This is a very nice detail. Not only is the cover very sturdy and could withstand the toughest handling without risking damage to the trigger guard, but its open shape at the rear makes the trigger guard easy to reach, even with thick gloves. I see this as one of the improvements over older designs.

The crossbow as a whole looks clean, light and elegant.

The forearm is separate, made of plastic polymer. It is equipped with slanted grooves for better grip in the lower part, which visually connect well to the truss structure above it. The same relief is also in the upper part, so the forearm is open and we can see through it. Any dirt can thus be easily flushed out. The finger protection wings are large enough and for that a thumbs up. Another advance over the older types. The machining of the body frame casting is perfect in this class of crossbow.

The factory bowstring is black with a red centre line wrap, really strong and tight, well tightened. After more than 250 shots it does not loosen, does not unwind, does not flake. I lubricated after about 10 shots. Given the lower winding forces and velocities, such a bowstring is capable of withstanding high hundreds, maybe even thousands of rounds. For the price of the bowstring around 390,- CZK it is a perfect price-performance ratio. The sufficiently deep arrow guide groove then continues visibly from the head to the seizure itself. The crossbow body is very slim and the guide rail itself is just tall enough to accommodate the aforementioned guide groove. At the bottom, it then transitions into a lightweight truss-shaped structure extending from the head to the trigger guard. This stiffens the body itself and makes room for the plastic foregrip. The duralumin frame then transitions into a shaft for the trigger mechanism and, at the bottom, an open trigger guard. This is a very nice detail. Not only is the cover very sturdy and could withstand the toughest handling without risking damage to the trigger guard, but its open shape at the rear makes the trigger guard easy to reach, even with thick gloves. I see this as one of the improvements over older designs.

The crossbow as a whole looks clean, light and elegant.

The plastic of the forend and stock is simple, slightly matte black. It may look cheap. On the other hand, the parts are clean, no mould marks, no burrs. The plastic is pleasant to the touch, does not get cold, is resistant to environmental influences and scratches. The matt finish also prevents glare. Likewise, the ergonomics of the crossbow are very good and most shooters will easily find the right position and grip. It is suitable for both right and left-handed users. The shape, subtlety and abundant lightness of the crossbow body does not allow (or only at the cost of major modifications) bottom or side mounting of R.I.S. rails for accessories (bipod, flashlight, laser, reel). For most shooting these things will not be needed, they can be solved in other ways, but for the new design they could have already been taken into account. Similarly, it is not possible to fit a spirit level, for example, on a small head. A good thing is the time-tested trigger and bowstring catch.

It is a mechanism that catches the bowstring from below. It has not changed in the 40 years since its introduction. It has the advantage of simplicity and automatic release of the safety catch. Which makes it particularly suitable for novice shooters. The Anaconda has the added advantage of an ADF system against empty shot. This is a simple but effective mechanism whereby inserting an arrow raises the safety plate, allowing the safety to release and fire. So you can't fire without the arrow. So for me, another big plus for this newer design.

A small drawback may be the relative delicacy of the trigger mechanism, where the 175 lb cocking force on its sear is probably also a force that should not be exceeded and is, from a design point of view, at its limit for reasonable reliability. Likewise, the amount of trigger adjustments is more limited than, for example, Excalibur trigger mechanisms, which also come with entire aftermarket tuned triggers from Triggertech.

The concept of a bottom-mounted bowstring catch has one more tiny weakness that probably goes unnoticed by most shooters. When released, the bowstring moves forward and slightly upward and tends to elevate the arrow in the rear. Even though the arrow is being pinched by pressure, these are minor nuances that can show up when shooting really accurately. That's why the legendary Excalibur catch from above needs to be more accurate. With it, the bowstring moves forward and pushes down on the rail when released from above, guiding the arrow even more surely.

The concept of catching the string from below has one more minor weakness that most archers probably won't notice. When released, the string moves forward and slightly upward, tending to lift the arrow at the rear. Even though the arrow is pressed down by the pressure, these are subtle nuances that can make a difference in really accurate shooting. That is why the legendary Excalibur catch from above is more accurate. With this release, when released from above, the string moves forward and pushes down on the rail, guiding the arrow even more securely. The trigger tab is well shaped and has an optimal distance from the grip for the correct finger position on it. The trigger resistance is then an average of 2858 grams. 

Here is a detail of the tilt scale at the rear. I tilted it only slightly (3 clicks) and then tightened it firmly. I made the rest of the distance settings for the 355-grain arrow in the optics so that the top point is at 10 meters, the main cross at 20 meters, the second cross at 25 meters, the third at 30 meters, the fourth at 35 meters, and the bottom point at 40 meters. So, a perfectly contained reticle. The arrow pressure is solved by a classic flat pressure tab made of spring steel. A simple, proven, and reliable solution. Here, the manufacturer has also provided rubber tubing at the end to reduce abrasion and scratching of the arrow surface. 

Another new feature is the simple, albeit somewhat rough, tilt of the optics rail. It can be controlled from both sides of the crossbow, making it suitable for both left- and right-handed users. The stroke calibration is only at the rear and, unfortunately, only shows very roughly how much the rail is tilted, but there is no more precise calibration. There is also no place to write this down. The tilt spring is relatively weak, and the tilt itself shows some play in the mounting. Therefore, it will be particularly suitable for lighter optics. Ideally, open or tube collimators, crosshairs, and small rifle scopes. The tilt was probably the source of my biggest concerns when getting acquainted with the Anaconda. If the screw leading through the RIS rail mounting the optics to the tilt is loosened, the tilt can be easily moved, but the entire top of the rail, including the optics, shows about one millimeter of play to the left and right of the longitudinal axis of the rail. With this setting, it is not possible to achieve good accuracy. The solution is to tilt the rail only slightly (2-3 clicks) at the front so that the crossbow can cover the most common distances of 10-40 meters, then tighten the screw firmly so that the tilt is locked in place.

Only then should you mount the optics and use the clicks to shoot at individual distances. This ensures that the optics are stable and secure, without any play. It took quite a bit of playing around to find the ideal tilt position for the given arrow weight and then correct it on the optics.

The arrow spring is provided by a classic flat pressure tab made of spring steel. A simple, proven, and reliable solution. Here, the manufacturer has also added rubber tubing to the end to reduce abrasion and scratching of the arrow surface.

The Man Kung XB-23 Anaconda will surprise you right from the start, even before you fire, with its easy draw.

The crossbow has a draw weight of 175 pounds and a draw length of 10.5 inches, and thanks to the open angle of the string on the catch, it can be drawn by hand alone. With the help of a cable cocking device, it is comically easy. I had my middle daughter Františka (16 years old) cock the crossbow, and after a demanding strength training session, she had no problem cocking the crossbow several times in a row. Always try to use a cable cocking device, as it ensures precise cocking and perfect centering of the string on the catch. This will make shooting more accurate. In this case, I have to give another plus point for the very nicely made cocking device. The hooks are solid, sturdy, and have a fitting that guides the cocking device more securely along the rail and prevents the hooks from snapping together.

So I can warmly recommend it to everyone, whether they are beginner shooters, shooters of smaller build, or women and girls.

The automatic safety catch is a nice feature. The same goes for the ADF, which prevents accidental firing without an arrow. Newbies just need to make sure the arrow is loaded correctly. It can be either a halfmoon tip, i.e., with a recess, like factory arrows have. The differently colored fletching of the trio always points downwards so that the nock fits into the cutout on the string. You can also use any type of flat nock, such as flat nock, Rhino nock, Omni nock, and others. The reflex design and open angle of the string at the catch allow you to shoot a wide range of arrows. This is another advantage of this design. Anaconda can shoot anything.

Another advantage of flat nocks is not only a wider selection of suitable arrows, but also the possibility of loading any arrow into the groove. This speeds up operation and reduces the possibility of human error when loading. 

The shooting itself is very pleasant. The crossbow is light, easy to position, the trigger is consistent, and the shot is very pleasant, quiet, and smooth. When shooting with support, you will achieve perfect accuracy up to the limits of the optics at 40 meters.

At 30 meters

Below is a series of 3 shots at 30 meters with support and the last shot fired at 35 meters with support

When shooting freehand, the Anaconda was too light for me. The front was not as stable as I would have liked or am used to. You have to be very stable, otherwise you will miss the target and have to press the trigger with higher resistance gradually and calmly, or you will pull the shots off.

If you get used to the crossbow and are a good shooter, you will be able to repeatedly hit 8 cm circles on the target at 10, 20, 25 and more meters while standing freehand. The fact that it is possible to hit a nice shot is proven by my farewell shot (the 200th shot from this crossbow overall and the 5th attempt at this distance) from hand at 40 meters.

A little bit of real concentration, control of breathing, posture, tilting the crossbow according to its shoulders or the sight in the optics, a little bit of luck.

But when such a shot is successful, it is joy in its purest form.

You can try all possible formats of paper targets or targets in the form of rubber 3D figures. You can shoot at a suspended tennis ball, apple, pumpkin, melon, or a slow-moving target.

You can shoot with friends or family from 5 meters, adding 2 meters at a time until the last shooter is eliminated at the greatest possible distance. There are no limits to your imagination and fun. Above all, always be careful and safe. After all, you are holding an adult crossbow in your hands.

Just to give you a better idea, this is an 18 mm chipboard OSB board from a distance of 20 meters... At 30 and 40 meters, the result is almost identical, with the energy of the arrow decreasing only very slowly.

If anyone is interested in using this crossbow for hunting, of course where it is permitted and allowed, I would recommend the crossbow, given its kinetic energy, only for smaller game such as rabbits, hares, and roe deer.

And that at a maximum distance of 20-25 meters. Due to the lower speed of the crossbow and the reaction time of the game, this is the maximum distance at which a hit is truly certain. American shooters with older types of Barnett reflex crossbows have hunted larger game such as deer and wild boar at distances of 20 meters, but these hits should be considered truly exceptional.

Below is a table of the energy required for arrows to reliably and ethically kill the game in question.

Kinetic energy - Game species

Less than 34 joules - Squirrel, rabbit, hare, game birds

More than 34 joules - Roe deer, mouflon

More than 54 joules - Wild boar, black bear

More than 88 joules - Moose, grizzly bear

Conclusion

Compared to older designs, the Man Kung MK-23 Anaconda has brought several interesting improvements (smaller dimensions, lower weight, even lower noise level, ADF, integrated tilt, nice trigger protection detail, cocking groove, cocking device itself, etc.) while retaining the strengths of its predecessors (simplicity, easy assembly, operation and maintenance, low purchase and service costs - bowstring CZK 390, replacement arm CZK 1,200, availability of spare parts, accuracy, etc.).

Even so, there are areas of the crossbow that could be improved in the future

(footrest bracket, missing RIS rails for accessories and spirit level, better, more accurately assembled and calibrated ,foot stirrup, missing RIS rails for accessories and spirit level, better, more accurately assembled and calibrated tilt, smoother trigger). The Anaconda is another in a series of interesting, powerful crossbows for beginner crossbow shooters to introduce them to the world of crossbow shooting. The crossbow has proven that it can shoot quietly and very accurately at shorter distances and is on par with crossbows that are many times more expensive. The fact that it costs a fraction of their price is another huge plus and is also reflected in the final score.

Anaconda will be a great choice for all beginner shooters - girls, boys, women, and men. I think this crossbow will help them get excited about shooting and will certainly not disappoint or discourage them. And all this at a low price, reliably, and safely.
The crossbow can also be recommended for hobby shooting in the garden with family or friends or for inexpensive and undemanding training in shooting skills.

It could also be used as a weapon for home defense or for survival and prepping enthusiasts. I see its advantage in its minimal size and weight, which does not burden evacuation luggage and serves well as a defensive weapon or hunting tool. The advantage for such use is its incredible simplicity, undemanding nature, long service life of the bowstring and mechanical parts, and the ability to draw it with bare hands without a crossbow. With the use of a cable cocking device, almost anyone in the family or community can cock the crossbow, even if they are not in ideal physical condition or full health, which are situations that can arise in these extreme situations and must be taken into account in such scenarios.

Last but not least, it can be used for hunting where it is legal. It is a very effective tool for shorter distances and smaller game, whether birds, rabbits, hares, deer, or smaller wild boars. At such a low price, the crossbow offers a wide range of uses and great potential for further modifications according to your preferences.

In my opinion, it is the ideal crossbow for beginners, which should be tried by anyone who wants to start shooting with a crossbow.

If I were to compare it with the entry-level crossbows I have tested so far: Ek Archery Jaguar 1 and Barnett Wildcat, and highlight the strengths of each crossbow as follows:

Man Kung MK-23 Anaconda – lowest weight, smallest dimensions, lowest noise level, excellent accuracy, ADF

Ek Archery Jaguar 1 – lowest price, good accuracy, low noise level

Barnett Wildcat – highest performance, workmanship, appearance, ADF

Man kung MK XB 23 Anaconda

+ simple assembly

+ simple and reliable design

+ durable construction

+ solid workmanship

+ appearance

+ low weight

+ small dimensions

+ ergonomics and stability

+ nicely designed cocking lever

+ easy draw

+ automatic safety catch

+ ADF

+ excellent accuracy

+ low price

- four lower quality arrows included in the package

- need to tighten the tilt due to play

- no space for mounting R.I.S. rails for accessories

- no spirit level

Overall rating                        85/100

Thanks to František Cerman and www.kuse.cz for lending us the crossbow for testing.

Photo sources

https://www.mankungcrossbows.com/

www.kuse.cz

František Cerman

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