"Blacky" was born in Schwerin, Germany, in mid-August 1966. The father of two was in the East German National People's Army (NVA) from 1986 to 1990 and seamlessly switched to the Bundeswehr. The professional arms bearer has also been active as a sport shooter in many disciplines since 1994, has had his hunting license in his pocket for 13 years and has been running his company "Black Defence Training and Gear" (www.blackdefence.com) since 2005. Since the previous year, he also holds a gun trading license and works as a sales representative for the Swiss SIG Sauer AG in Neuhausen am Rheinfall. Incidentally, Blacky is also active as an external trainer at the German Academy for Hunters and Sports Shooters, where he focuses on teaching the accurate handling of handguns and semi-automatics (www.moderne-schiesslehre.de) - it's all in German.
Change of hunting equipment is in full swing: with the Hera Arms-AR semi-automatic "Black Rifle", silencer and more...
Trend: Hunting and technical equipment in Germany has changed dramatically in the recent past, both in terms of the booming growth rate of young hunters and the equipment used, such as silencers, night vision/heat imaging optics or lead-free ammunition. That's why even on social hunts today you won't be looked at quite so askance if you carry a modern semi-automatic rifle instead of the classic break-barrel shotgun or bolt-action rifle. Blacky's first experience with a semi-automatic hunting rifle was with the SIG 751 SAPR (SIG Arms Precision Rifle) in .308 Winchester with an 18"/457 mm barrel. He uses his Hera Arms 7SIX2 with 14.5"/368 mm barrel with and without Voere silencer primarily for driven hunting.
For predators and varmints, Blacky again swears by his very capable Hera The15th in .223 Remington with 11.5"/292 mm barrel and Ase Utra silencer. For lead-free hunting ammunition, he relies mostly on Hornady, but also uses other makes/loads. The same applies to mounts and optics, where he selects from a wide range of products, from red dot sights (Aimpoint, EOTech) without and with magnification modules to variable scopes with low magnification for driven hunts (LPVO; Low Power Variable Optics), to high-performance scopes from manufacturers such as Hawke, Leupold or Steiner. For the important link between rifle and optics in the form of the mount, Blacky prefers models from Leupold or the German manufacturer Recknagel/ERATAC.
The Hera Arms 7SIX2 tested - accuracy at 100 meters
In their own tests, Hera Arms 7SIX2 have already proven their reliable function and accuracy. With the flagship of the series, the approximately 4.9-kg Model 3040 with Magpul PRS stock and 20"/508 mm match bull barrel with three-chamber compensator, we achieved respectable shooting performance results. The 20" long 42CrMo4 steel match barrel, manufactured using the button rifling method, has a 1:11" twist as well as additional internal lapping. Many other manufacturers use a 1:10" twist in this standard caliber. But the 1:11" twist has proven to be more flexible especially with regard to lighter bullets from 136 to 150 grains, which can also be a significant advantage in the field depending on bullet design.
At 100 yards, we scored 16 mm with the RWS 168-grain Target Elite Plus factory ammunition, which is beyond reproach. With a handload consisting of 42.0 grains of IMR 4166 propellant and RWS Scorion bullet, we managed an 18 mm group. But the Hornady 178-grain Precision Hunter factory cartridge with the hunting-grade ELD-X bullet was also impressive at 19 mm. At the German manufacturer Hera Arms, which is currently expanding its production capacities by building new factory halls, the company is justifiably proud of the fact that almost all AR components come from its own production.
Due to the lack of forward assist on the 7SIX2, it is recommended that the rifle be fully loaded before blind hunting or stalking in order to avoid game-scaring noises. So far, Blacky has taken down about 20 cloven-hoofed game and some predators with his Hera Arms 7SIX2. We wish him continued good hunting!
You can find more information about the Hera Arms 7SIX2 and other products from this manufacturer on the Hera Arms website.
