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The Benelli Lupo combines accuracy and adjustability features with sleek looks into a rifle to use not only for all seasons, but for all reasons.
Benelli is an Italian gunmaker best known for its inertia-driven shotguns. The company history is interesting, founded in 1967 in Urbino, Marche, Italy, as an offshoot of the Benelli motorcycle factory. The Benelli shotguns are popular with military, law enforcement and hunters. Benelli also makes handguns and centerfire rifles, which continue growing in popularity. The Benelli Argo was one of its first rifles, followed by the MR1 and R1. In 2020, Benelli introduced the Lupo rifle, which has quickly become recognized for the same quality and dependability as its shotguns.
“Lupo” is the Italian word for wolf, and this rifle was designed and named to make the user an apex predator.
“Lupo” is the Italian word for wolf, and this rifle was designed and named to make the user an apex predator. The Lupo was engineered for a custom-like fit and feel with features such as a crisp trigger that needs to be felt to be appreciated. The rifle offers sub-MOA accuracy, but what stands out is the advanced ergonomics and managed recoil.
The Lupo features a chassis-style construction built from an alloy lower receiver and fitted with a synthetic stock and forend. The stock incorporates Benelli’s patented Progressive Comfort recoil-reducing system and Combtech cheek pad for comfortable shooting.
Accuracy is achieved with a CRIO-treated and free-floating barrel that is bedded (steel-to-steel) into the alloy chassis receiver. The adjustable trigger mechanism offers a crisp finish to every shot and easily adjusts from 2.2 to 4.4 pounds pull. It’s crisp and breaks clean.
The Lupo features a chassis-style construction built from an alloy lower .
The adjustability of the Lupo is what makes it unique. Modular components allow for the perfect fit between the shooter and the rifle. The chassis-style configuration of a separate stock, receiver and forend allows the shooter to customize the Lupo to one of 12 drop-and-cast positions with the included shims. The fit and feel of the stock adjusts to 36 positions by utilizing optional combs and included length of pull spacers. The finger reach to the trigger is also adjustable with included spacers placed between the receiver and the stock. Additional fit choices include two raised cheek pad styles and one optional length butt pad.
Action
The Benelli Lupo is a bolt-action, magazine fed rifle. The bolt operates smoothly and locks down without effort. The bolt is scalloped allowing cartridges in the magazine to sit as high as possible, eliminating the need for a tall magazine. The flush-fit polymer magazine holds five cartridges and is detachable with the release seated at the forward edge of the detachable box. Actuation is by pulling the release toward the magazine. The magazine can also be loaded through the ejection port, like a fixed-box magazine, so topping up is easy when time is of the essence.
The rifle has a unique look with straight lines that are complete once the magazine is locked in place.
The bolt is machined from a single piece of steel. A dogleg handle is attached using two fasteners and has a 60-degree throw. The push-feed design has a robust extractor and plunger-style ejector for robust performance. A great feature on the Lupo is that the bolt offers toolless disassembly for easier maintenance. A release lever located on the cocking piece allows the user to rotate that component until it can be detached.
A manual safety located on the tang is easy to find and engage, and a visual red cocking indicator becomes visible when the rifle is ready to fire. The sample Lupos worked flawlessly on the range and on several hunts with hundreds of rounds fired. Different models were used, and all shot equally well.
The top of the Lupo action is drilled and tapped for scope mounting and comes with two Picatinny rail sections installed, making for quick and easy mounting of an optic.
Barrel
The Lupo barrels are cold-hammer-forged and cryogenically treated. Barrels are threaded 5/8×24 and fitted with a near-seamless thread protector and are secured to the action using an oversize nut. Hammer-forged barrels create harmony between the bore and the chamber, which is critical to achieve greatest accuracy. The hammer-forging process forms the rifling and chamber in the same sequence of operations, meaning they are perfectly aligned. It’s little details like that that explain the consistent accuracy and sub-MOA guarantee of the Lupo.
The fit and feel of the stock adjusts to 36 positions by utilizing optional combs and included length of pull spacers.
The Lupo is threaded for a suppressor, but recoil-wise is easy to shoot without the add-on, as the rifle sports Benelli’s Progressive Comfort System, which is built into the stock effectively reduces felt recoil. The ergonomics and straight lines of the rifle make it easy to handle, shoulder comfortably and shoot. Recoil comes straight into the shoulder with little muzzle lift.
The rifle has a unique look with straight lines that are complete once the magazine is locked in place. What looks like the receiver on the Lupo is essentially two components, including a steel action and an aluminum chassis. In firearm terms, the Lupo has an upper and lower receiver with a slender appearance.
Wood or Synthetic
In 2022, Benelli released an upgraded Lupo called the BE.S.T (Benelli Surface Treatment) that added new features, options and value. I am a sucker for a classic looking rifle with a hardwood stock, and the Lupo stands out with AA-grade satin walnut. The wood and unique grain is an eye-catcher that makes the firearm look classy with matching buttstock and forend. The gray lower receiver and the glossy black finish on the rest of the rifle give it major curb appeal.
Benelli Lupo BE.S.T.
Although I’m a sucker for nice hardwood, a Lupo with a synthetic stock is part of my firearm collection. Big adventure can be hard on a firearm and hunting in rain, snow and rough terrain make synthetic a good choice for maintaining and managing the rifle under any circumstances.
There is a high comb to ensure the shooter’s eye easily aligns with an optic. Textured AirTouch panels on the pistol grip and forend provide a positive grip and feel. The Lupo BE.S.T.’s stock offers an adjustable length of pull from 13.8 to 14.75 inches and comes with spacers. There is an optional large recoil pad available that extends the length of pull to 15.2 inches.
BE.S.T. Lupo Camo
BE.S.T.
The BE.S.T. finish is described as a hybrid physical vapor deposition and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technology. The company says the two processes utilize electricity, radio frequencies and plasma in a high-vacuum environment to deposit a solid coating that precisely and uniformly covers the treated parts.
In short, the treatment creates a very hard finish that is highly resistant to corrosion and wear. The finish is similar to those used by other firearm manufacturers, but without using heat. The high temperature conventionally required to apply those hard finishes is extreme and could affect the metallurgy of firearm components. The integrity of the barrel is paramount, and Benelli’s innovation applies this finish using lower temperature.
BE.S.T is a treatment creates a very hard finish that is highly resistant to corrosion and wear.
Benelli torture tested the BE.S.T.-finish with a shotgun barrel placed in a saltwater bath for three months. It showed no sign of corrosion. Hunting elk for a week in the rain and snow was a true hunting test for me, and a quick wipe down of metal parts at the end of each day left the rifle looking like new.
A benefit of the BE.S.T. finish is the polished, high gloss look and feel. Everything about the rifle is eye catching. The finish is also used on the rifle’s moving parts so they operate with minimal friction. The BE.S.T. finish is not applied inside the barrel, but Benelli chrome-lines the bore to protect it from the elements.
The Progressive Comfort Recoil System allows the recoil pad to compress and absorb felt kickback.
Field Results
The real test of any firearm is in the field and a Lupo has been on my shoulder for fall and spring black bears, Nebraska Sandhills and Alberta whitetails, late-season elk, rutting elk and rutting moose. The different adventures speak to the shootability of the firearm. The Sandhills whitetail was taken in the prone position shooting off a backpack. The bears were harvested on the ground or from a stand using shooting sticks, and an elk was taken with a quick reaction shooting off-hand. Consistent, accurate, easy to handle and shoot make the Lupo a great option for any big game hunt.
Different hunting adventures speak to the shootability of the Benelli Lupo.the
The Lupo is Benelli’s first bolt-action rifle. The firearm is designed for less recoil, has great aesthetics and is guaranteed to produce sub-MOA accuracy. The rifle features advanced ergonomics and shooting comfort into this chassis-style hunting rifle that allows for personal fit and customization. Benelli holds seven exclusive patents on the Lupo that contribute to the quality and accuracy hardcore hunters demand.
The Lupo is a well-thought-out rifle engineered and built to deliver consistent accuracy. It holds nothing back when it comes to living up to the company name and reputation. The BE.S.T. Lupo ups the ante with a premium modern finish and both wood-stocked and synthetic options.
