The 6.5 Creedmoor caliber bullet has a very flat trajectory and long range. Both sporting shooters and hunters who shoot at longer ranges count on it. The stopping power is also much better than other 6.5 cartridges thanks to the higher energy.
Of course, a rifle with good accuracy belongs to this caliber! We at Jagd-Team Nordschleswig have used the JPR-1 Europa from Unique Alpine for hunting and on the shooting range. The JPR-1 Europa is a classic, simple hunting rifle with a timeless wooden stock. Unique Alpine, previously more commonly found in the sporting or law enforcement sectors and considered specialists in military and police precision rifles, have created a hunting alternative with the JPR-1 Europa. The perfection from the high-accuracy application fields is now also available to the hunting sector.
Hunting a nandu in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
With this rifle we were able to hunt our first nandu. The ratites, which escaped from a free-range farm in Schleswig-Holstein in 2000, originally came from South America and have since spread as neozoa in areas of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. For a good year now, hunting nandus as a potentially invasive species has also been enshrined in the hunting laws there.
Nandus are diurnal and so we went stalking in the best weather. It was not so easy to take the selected yearling out of the group. Not only were the nandus always on the move, but there was always another animal in front or behind them. After about an hour, our colleague Malte was able to take the shot. The first nandu was lying!
Unique Alpine JPR-1 Europa: features and equipment
The stock is made of walnut and is finished off with ebony to the end of the pistol grip cap and at the forend. The stock is neutral for right- or left-handed shooting. There are sling swivel lugs on the forend and buttstock. However, I would have an additional eyelet added to the forend and use the existing ones for the bipod. That way, carrying the gun for a longer period of time is also more comfortable. The checkering is cleanly cut on both the forend and the pistol grip. The entire stock is well oiled and polished and feels very good in the hand.
Barrel of the UA JPR-1: with muzzle thread, without front sight
The Unique Alpine JPR-1 Europa features a barrel length of 24" (660 millimeters). In 6.5 Creedmoor caliber, this makes perfect sense. An M15x1 muzzle thread is cut as standard on the Unique Alpine JPR-1 Europa. A front sight is not available: this makes it possible to use an over-barrel silencer without any problems.
The action: stable and with striker safety catch
The bolt of the Unique Alpine JPR-1 Europa is milled from a single piece of steel. The bolt locks via three large head lugs made of high-strength special steel. A flat bolt throw of 60 degrees ensures comfortable, fast and safe cycling. A cocked rifle can be recognized very clearly by the protruding pin on the bolt shroud. When decocked, it closes flush with the bolt shroud again.
During feeding, the cartridges are pushed under the very large extractor claw and held securely until they are ejected by the fixed ejector. The extractor of the Unique Alpine JPR-1 Europa is very massive and designed for maximum safety. A fired case is already removed from the chamber during the unlocking phase.
Included is a 5-round magazine. Those who like a flush finish can also get a 3-round magazine, optionally made of metal. The magazine release on the Unique Alpine JPR-1 Europa is in front of the trigger guard and is quite convenient for quick magazine changes. Holes for mounting bases are found on the receiver as standard. I was already supplied with a Picatinny rail on which I mounted my Mjoelner Hunting Heimdal XO 3-12x56 scope.
At the rear right of the Unique Alpine JPR-1 Europa's bolt is the three-position safety, which acts directly on the striker. In the center position, the chamber can be opened. If the safety is at the very back, the bolt is also secured.
Unique Alpine JPR-1 Europa field test: wrap-up
For a hunting bolt-action rifle from a German company like Unique Alpine, the JPR-1 Europa is a very affordable gun at 1460 euros. The accuracy is superb and fully delivers on the promise of a bolt-action rifle from what has been a rather official manufacturer. The weight of the Unique Alpine JPR-1 Europa is quite high for a hunting rifle at 9 lb/4100 g, but in return you get a very functionally reliable action, a striker safety, a very good trigger and a muzzle thread. For these high-quality components, one gladly takes a few grams more into the hand. For me, the Unique Alpine JPR-1 Europa is a great gun that I can only recommend! And not only for hunting exotic species like the nandu.
Happy hunting.
Andreas Jordt / Hunting Team North Schleswig
You can find more information about the Unique Alpine JPR-1 Europa hunting rifle on the manufacturer's website.
Here we reported on Unique Alpine's new announcements at IWA Outdoor Classics 2021.
