Benelli’s BE.S.T. LUPO bolt-action rifle is a cutting-edge firearm hunters everywhere will want to take a closer look at as the company expands the products it places into hunters’ hands.
SPONSORED CONTENT: Out-of-the-box — or off your local store’s firearms rack — you will immediately notice the engineers at Benelli were thinking outside the box and wanted to create a high-performance, high-caliber rifle unlike any other. Mission accomplished with this Benelli BE.S.T. LUPO.
The barrel has a 1:11-inch (note, 1:8-inch for some calibers) twist and the muzzle is threaded to accept a noise suppressor.
The advanced ergonomics in the forward-thinking design can be seen and felt when the box-style magazine is removed, when a round is chambered or when you shoulder the rifle. The Benelli company information describes the LUPO as a chassis-style hunting rifle that allows for exclusive fit and customization out-of-the-box. Those features make it far away from the standard long one-piece rifle stock so many hunters are accustomed to carrying and shouldering.
Lupo is an Italian word for wolf, and the Benelli BE.S.T. LUPO was engineered to hunt — and perform. The “BE.S.T.” letters signify Benelli’s special surface treatment that stops rust and corrosion from occurring. The Benelli BE.S.T. LUPO rifle provides numerous innovative features — some are covered by the seven exclusive Benelli patents — that were awarded in the design. This is a hunting rifle that also provides a customizable fit thanks to included shims. For those wishing to further customize their LUPO rifle, it has a three-piece, and separate stock, receiver and forend. This unique design permits the user to adjust to one of 36 drop and cast stock positions with the shims. Further fit adjustments can also be made by using the included length-of-pull spacers.
Lupo is an Italian word for wolf, and the Benelli BE.S.T. LUPO was engineered to hunt — and perform.
The LUPO carries a 3-shot sub-MOA guarantee — impressive. From a field bench, I found the rifle delivered a nearly three-shot touching group with the first volley I shot while aligning the Swarovski riflescope I mounted to prepare for an upcoming hunt. My immediate impression was WOW! — this rifle is a true shooter. In the long list of rifle features providing that accuracy is a precision Crio-treated, free-floating barrel attached to a hardened-steel barrel extension. That extension is bedded to a steel block in the alloy receiver. It’s a very solid set-up — and a reason for much of the accuracy.
5+1 round capacity
The sample 300 Win. Mag. rifle arrived with two-piece Picatinny rails affixed atop the action so all I had to find were the correct 1-inch rings. Mounting the riflescope took less than five minutes time. Note, in keeping with the futuristic overall design on the LUPO, the rifle does not arrive with iron sights. The trigger is adjustable for pull weight. The barrel has a 1:11-inch (note, 1:8-inch for some calibers) twist and the muzzle is threaded to accept a noise suppressor. This feature is on the leading edge of hunting in America and seems to be already widely accepted in Europe.
Another top feature of the LUPO BE.S.T. rifle is the Progressive Comfort recoil system in the end of the stock. It absorbed a huge segment of the recoil, especially for a lighter rifle. The LUPO BE.S.T. rifle I carried into the mountains had a 5+1 round capacity, a short 24-inch barrel and an overall length of around 46 inches, which made it easier to carry and maneuver through dense brush and across those famous Rocky Mountain lodgepole blowdowns while hunting elk. Adding to the ability to carry the rifle all day is a light 7.1 pounds overall weight. Some LUPO rifles even tip the scales at a scant 6.9 pounds — another plus.
Available calibers for BE.S.T. LUPO bolt-action rifles with walnut stocks include: 300 Win. Mag. and 6.5 Creedmoor. The digital camouflaged Open Country and Elevated II versions of this rifle are also offered in 308 Win.
Progressive Comfort recoil system
There are other LUPO rifle models offered — more than a dozen — in calibers including: 270 Win., 30-’06, 7mm Rem. Mag. and others. The caliber selected determines whether the rifle has a 22- or 24-inch barrel. The LUPO rifles with synthetic stock feature Airtouch, a special Benelli grip surface treatment, that’s applied on areas such as the forend and grip. The rifle I evaluated had comfortable checkering added to the wood on the grip, forend and a small patch at the tip of the forend. The many synthetic stock and forend rifles also have built-in integrated sling swivel attachment points.
My test rifle was a Model #11909 with the AA Grade satin walnut stock and forend, which offers significant eye appeal against the gold LUPO wording on the matte finished action and glossy blued barrel and bolt. This rifle sports a MSRP of $2,199. Additional details on this firearm line are available at www.benelliusa.com. If you wish to hold a Benelli rifle for comparisons or more details, the company’s website has a useful dealer locator app.
