Introduction

[SilviuM]

Hi everybody !

My name is Silviu, I'm from Bucharest, Romania, I'm a passionate hunter, just as my father and grandfather. I've been reading for awhile AH and learned alot already, now planning my first AH for 2018.

I saw hunting in Romania has already been introduced to you, but if you have any questions, just ask me.
I want to mention that Romania is the last European country with more then 90% wild free range game, (only few hunting farms) and hundreds of years old forests. Also game in Romania tend to be bigger then rest of Europe, not necessarily the trophy(horns, tucks), but in body and weight. An average wild boar 330 lbs and can go easily to 660 lbs, a stag 600 lbs or more, similar for chamoix, etc...
This season I got a 550lbs and a 660lbs wild boars:







Tuscks 9.85" and 7.88"



My gear:

Heym SR30 Super Classic 9.3x62 / Swarovski Z8i 1-8x24 4A-IF
- Mounting and zeroing the scope/open sights, Norma Oryx 285 gr in Heym factory
- Stock blank chosen by me, oil finish
- Jeweled bolt
- Steel bolt ball engraved
- Gold Line on rear standing sight blade
- Gold Plated trigger















Aguirre y Aranzabal, AyA #2
• Bore 12
• Chambers 70
• Barrels Length 28
• Chokes 1/2 (0.4mm) & 3/4 (0.7mm)
• Chrome Lined Barrels
• STEEL SHOT PROOF
• ELONGATED FORCING CONES
• SILVER’S Best London Orange Rubber Recoil Pad
• Wood UPGRADED Nº 1 chosen by picture
• BEST AYA OIL FINISH - STD. in upgraded nº 1
• Slimmer stock wrist as for caliber 20 (38mmx28mm)
• Oval GOLD
• GOLD PLATED TRIGGERS (ARTICULATED FRONT TRIGGER)
• Gold plated internal parts
• TOP LEVER, TRIGGER GUARD AND HAND DETACHABLE SIDELOCK
CASE COLOUR HARDENED
• ROLLED EDGE TRIGGER GUARD
• Sideplates pins + cocking indicator w/gold line BLUED
• EXTRA FOR LIGHTER GUN -APPROX.3,020 KGS.
• LEATHER CASE (burgundy/cherry, leather slings and metal corners)







The knife is a custom made K390 Bohker Steel.

My next rifle? A big game doube rifle and after visiting Heym's factory, for sure it will be a 89b, but before I want to go in my fisrt AH.

Cheers,

Silviu

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Welcome to AH Silviu! Congrats on these fantastic boars and thanks for sharing your corner of the world with us. Let us know if you have any specific questions.

 

[Pheroze]

Beautiful equipment you have there. Romania does sound like a great place to hunt! Have fun on your Africa trip and please be sure to post a report.

 

[Nyati]

Welcome to AH, Silviu

Very nice guns !

 

[BRICKBURN]

Thanks for posting the pictures. It is nice to see what hunters are up to around the world.

Welcome to AH.

Good luck planning your trip to Africa.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Welcome Silviu! Beautiful wood on your fine guns!
Awesome boars!

 

[cpr0312]

Welcome aboard! Best of luck planning your 2018 African adventure!

 

[Clayton]

Welcome to AH Sir. WOW you do bring a lot to the forum. Look forward to your contributions.

 

[CAustin]

Welcome to AH sir! Beautiful rifle you have!

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

Fantastic introduction and some sweet gear. Welcome

 

[Bullthrower338]

Welcome, fine rifle and shotgun, beautiful wood on both!
Cheers,
Cody

 

[enysse]

Welcome to AH, I will have to visit you country one day, I have heard it's beautiful!

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Welcome to AH Silviu!

Take Care,
Marius Goosen

 

[Global Rescue]

Welcome to AH Silviu! Glad you found us and joined our community.

 

[Royal27]

Welcome!

 

[alexm]

Welcome to AH @SilviuM! Glad to have you on board.

 

[ndumo HUNTING SAFARIS]

Welcome to the best forum Silviu! Enjoy!

 

[Shootist43]

Welcome to AH. Judging from your gear and success I'd say that your Dad and Grandfather taught you well. For sure you will fit right in. My only question is what took you so long to join us? Just joking. What animals are you thinking about hunting? The 9.3 x 62 has a stellar reputation for taking all manner of African game.

 

[petrusg]

Welcome to AH

 

[SilviuM]

Thank you all for the kind welcoming !

Yes Romania is a biutiful country with fascinating places, we almost have all, nature, game, women, food, wine and we've been around for 2000+ years !
In fact HRH Prince Charles bought few traditional houses in the country side and he comes at least once every year.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ve-forests-walked-ancestor-Count-Dracula.html
https://www.google.ro/amp/s/www.exp...es-Dracula-Transylvanian-countryside-love/amp
Also, as far as I know, Romania is the single country in the world that Prince Charles promote ever.
He said: "I hadn't been aware just how extraordinary this part of the world is with all its biodiversity, the wildflower meadows.
It just seemed to me, particularly this area of the Carpathian mountains, to be literally the last unspoilt, untouched area."
You can see more on british journalist Charlie Ottley "Wild Carpathia"

If you ever consider to hunt, visit or both, România I will be more then happy to provide you some good tips.

And yes we have great bears, wolfs, lynxes and wild cats, but because a recent sad event, hunting for these are banner now... It happened last year when a 2-3 years old bear, got lost and scared downtown Sibiu City. The authorities didn't know how to manage and asked a hunter to shot it. Big mistake, also big scandal, in the end the hunter almost got arrested, hunting permit suspended...
Then the goverment wanted to raise the number of bears, wolfs, wild cats to be hunteted/year and a bigger scandal started with the support of non guvernamental organizations animals lover (may they only eat the meat from the animals that commit suicide). The result, all these animals huntings being banned.
Romania is now the European country with the richest hunting grounds, exceptional population and quality of game. They say we have over 5.000 bears, over 150.000 roe deer, over 50.000 wild boars and, long time extinct from many other countries, the wolf. It is one of the countries with most of the gold medals won for trophies presented at international trophy shows since 1930. We still keep four homologated world records: chamois, wolf hide, bear hide and wild cat skull.
My personal opinion is that those numbers are wrong, as a proper count has not been made since 1990, just reported as the year before, and I think these numbers are much higher now. As an example, back then each county with bears had around 20 bears/year for the county's hunters(free of charge) + the ones for sell and since 1991 remained only the selling ones starting from 3300 USD, a very big price for the average romanian hunter. So, at least, the prestators population is very big now.

This is from my last hunt this season, Mr wolf's snack dropped on the trail...we also found a young stag ate by wolfs, they surrounded it and push it off a cliff, a common tactic here.

My favorite hunts for small game are grouse, quail, pigeon and woodcock, not a big fun for waterfowl just 1-2 times/season because I like alot the taste of ducks/geese. For big game, my all time favorite so far is the wild boar driven hunt, nothing can compare with 15-20 boars sometimes more running to you, dogs behind them. Wild Boar Fever 8 was filmed in România, they also filmed stag, chamoix and roe deer huntings. I also like stalking. Baiting, blind or stand huntings are not my cup of tea.
For my first AH, I think I will take some plain games, kudu, eland...Also I don't have a big game rifle yet and I don't like to hunt with rifles that are not mine. I only hunt with my guns, that I know blindfold.
My AyA #2 was completed in 2011 to my specs, it really is an extension of my arms, very well balanced and regulated, a pleasure to shot. I think most of you know this model, if not, its a 100% copy of H&H Royal, 7 pins sidelock, demiblock barrels and it is like almost all reviews said, 9o% from a H&H at 10% of the price.
My Heym SR30 Super Classic was completed in 2016 the same way to my specs.
In România is not allowed to build your gun, neither to a gunsmith, is a goverment monopol, also reloading not allowed anymore, use to be...
I was very surpised not finding the Heym SR30 Super Classic on Heym's USA website, because like Heym Express and the new released 89B, it is the result of the collaboration between Heym and Ralf Martini (martinigunmakers.com), a rifle build in the spirit of 30's British best grade rifles.
The SR30 is a straight pull bolt action, 24" barrel, conical profile special made for this model, very fast reloading times, needed in a driven hunt, comes to shoulder like an extension of my arms, no fiddling with the head placement to acquire the sights/scope, very svelte, trim and the accuracy is superbe, also the balance, the recoil is a dream, no barrel flip ! The second shot, in a running wildboar, was so fast it'd scare you, I was really amazed and a guy, who was next to me at that hunting, asked me if it's a semiauto rifle !

9.3x62 is a magnificent cartridge and for sure will serve me very good in Africa, despite the fact that is forbiden for big games in some countries. I chose Norma Oryx 285gr because I like it most from what is available on our market, it has plenty power for our big boars and stags and don't expand at all in roe deer or chamoix, only 1-2" exit wound, very good meat preservation.
Despite the fact that I usually don't take shots more then 200 yards, I gave it a try at 400 this season and manage to put a head shot in a boar. Where I put the scope's cross, there was the bullet hitting. The Swaro BTF ballistic turret was helping alot.
Here in Europe we have a large amount of bullets options.
One worth all the attention is the KJG-SR cartridge, 154,3 gr, 3202 fps, 3513 ft-lbs, BC 0.284 can give you the ballistic of a 7 rem mag.

The only thing that still bother me about my rifle is when I chose the upgrades, they make me a once in life time wood upgrade offer to the already upgraded wood for only 1100 USD, that I refused...
My stock blank:

The 5500 USD stock black offered for only 1100 USD as an unpgrade:

Anyway in the end even if I think we all have our limits sometims, this still haunt me...as I have no intention to sell these two guns ever.

Right now I am waiting some offers from a romanian agent that I know for an AH. He recommended me Namibia as a first hunting destination. Also, he told me that next year 2018 might be the last one for leopard and rihno, if I remember well, is it true?

Thanks again for having me !

Silviu