BENELLI WOLF….PROJECTED ONTO THE PREY

After ten years of exciting industrial ride, Benelli makes its debut in the bolt action sector with a rifle that, more than a weapon, will be a fascinating "hunting experience" for many.

A careful look to the future has always been the prerogative of BenelliA vision he has consistently translated into high-quality weapons capable of outperforming the competition. Innovation is the rule in Urbino; innovation is never an end in itself, but rather aimed at making the hunting experience simple and effective.

And the name chosen for the Bolt Action – LUPO – already recalls the extraordinary efficiency of the predator in procuring its meal: simple and definitive acts of an implacable ruler of the food chain.

Such is the wolf and such is the WOLF of BenelliAnd to achieve these levels, the Urbino-based company has put the usual technological component and a capacity for study, design and development that the world envies in this Bolt Action, which strikes at first sight for the uniqueness and beauty of its forms.

The LUPO project has synthesized a multitude of observations from those who use hunting rifles in the field and in the logical impossibility of creating a weapon that would satisfy everyone, Benelli has chosen a "significant" path to provide the hunter with "easy and customizable" options. Or rather – and this is perhaps the most innovative feature of the LUPO rifle – a series of modular packages have been created to guarantee the hunter the best fit for his or her personal shooting posture: Perfect Fitting, Progressive Comfort, LOP Spacers, and Combetch are terms we'll return to, but in themselves they represent a major innovation in the bolt-action sector, which historically requires the user to be highly adaptable.

The positioning that Benelli wanted to give its LUPO, it could only aspire to the high end of the market, because the company's style and the introduction of so much technology into the project cannot lead to any other positioning. A superb weapon therefore, and despite being an industrial product, in general work was done on the absolute refinement of tolerances and on a decidedly interesting concept, that is, adapting the LUPO to each individual caliber, with the aim of making the weapon the best support for each ammunition in the production calibers envisaged by the development program of Benelli. These, at the current stage of launch on the domestic market, are .30-06, .300 WIN MAG, .270 WIN, .308 WIN, 6,5 Creedmoor and .243 WIN.

Benelli wanted to include in its rifle a series of features and technical characteristics that allow it to concentrate shots within an MOA even from long shooting distances with all the aforementioned calibers and to achieve this goal it has made, as per its tradition, technical choices at thevanguardia.

ERGONOMICS

A unique feature of the LUPO bolt action rifle is the division of the receiver into a bolt box and a chassis. The former is made of steel and the latter of aircraft-grade aluminum, a configuration that allows for the best possible management of the user interface, allowing each LUPO to be fully customized for its user. For this reason, the stock and forend are two separate components, both intimately and solidly joined to the receiver. The stock therefore respects the concept of Perfect Fitting, adapting to the hunter's needs with multiple drop and cast configurations. Both the stock and forend are made of fiberglass-reinforced technopolymer, which, as discerning hunters know, is an extremely rigid material that is insensitive to climate changes. Both feature AirTouch checkering, which ensures a firm and secure grip thanks to its shape. This shape allows for ventilation, removing moisture and leaving the gripping surface dry. The grip extends to a wide, oblique, and particularly comfortable guard. Looking at the LUPO stock, one cannot help but appreciate the high-tech components that distinguish it. The AirTouch system has been applied here. ComfortTech 3 evolution of what many smoothbore enthusiasts already know in semi-autos BenelliThis latest version, developed specifically for the LUPO, is made up of polymer beams inside the stock that can effectively dampen the retrograde thrust even in the most demanding calibers for which the rifle is chambered. The result is an efficient reduction in recoil through energy dissipation. Added to this is the further mitigating effect of the butt plate It consists of a structure of micro air bubbles that compresses while maintaining its original shape. Further technology is incorporated into the comb, which, in addition to offering three height options, dampens the microvibrations that normally affect the cheek when firing. The combination of the three aforementioned components allows for much less stress on the hunter's body than similar rifles on the market. This inherent feature is the LOP adjustment possibility which allows you to find the best distance between trigger and butt plate for each hunter out of 6 available combinations.

The auction houses the magazine which also has technical features to match.vanguardia. It is double-stack with alternating ammunition presentation and allows the positioning of the ammunition to be aligned with the chamber, ensuring that damage from the tip of the bullet can never occur when the bolt closes. Its capacity is 5 rounds, except for the .300 WIN MAG which holds 4 rounds.

There are already many particularities highlighted but getting closer to the heart of the weapon (bolt-barrel-trigger) we realise even more how Benelli intended to project itself into the future.

CANE

The barrel , made of a particular profile designed to optimize the vibration regime, has a muzzle diameter of 17,2 mm, which is among the largest among hunting rifles. This choice is made due to the possibility of inserting a silencer, where required or permitted, or alternatively, a muzzle brake, already present among the accessories proposed for the LUPO. The free-floating barrel is intimately joined to the bolt box via the recoil lug and two screws; it benefits from the Crio treatment which allows for the elimination of all internal stresses residual from its manufacturing, allowing for consistent sub-MOA efficiency. The rifling twist rates differ for the various calibers: 8” (6.5 CREED), 10” (.243 WIN, .270 WIN) and 11” (.308 WIN, .30-06 SPRG, .300 WIN MAG). The BEST treatment guarantees absolute protection from aggression and impacts.