Contessa Picatinny Rail for Tikka T3 (20 MOA)

Introduction

Picatinny rail consists of slots with 5.23 mm spaces between one another, which means that it can be used across its entire length. It is simple to mount and interchangeable – if something is made for a Picatinny rail, it will fit regardless of the manufacturer or manufacturing date. It is affordable, resilient and reliable – this is why it so commonly used by professionals and military. Because of all its great qualities, Picatinny rail has been dominating the rail market in the recent years.

Picatinny is a big step forward from the Weaver standard. Weaver has a few predesignated slots while Picatinny has slots all over its surface, allowing the device to be mounted wherever the user finds it fitting. Weaver's slot is 3.8 mm wide, which is why ring mounts made for a Weaver rail will also fit on a Picatinny rail while ring mounts made specifically for a Picatinny rail will not fit on a Weaver rail. This is one of the main reasons why Picatinny is a far better mounting solution.

Contessa is an Italian company, famous for producing aesthetically appealing mounts with a nice finish. The tolerances of the produced pieces are very tight – there are no deviations, the mounts are very carefully machined. Contessa's Picatinny rails are made from steel and come with their unique screws which fit nicely into the rail. The screws have a huge contact surface and a bigger head than screws of other mount manufacturers, while the thread is the same. Contessa's Picatinny rails, made in Italy, are available in both 0 MOA and 20 MOA versions. Throughout the middle of the rail, there is a canal so that the rail can be used together with rifle's sights.

20 MOA Inclination

20 MOA inclination is only needed when the scope runs out of elevation. For example, when shooting at the range of 100 m, shooter gains 58.2 cm / 100 m of additional elevation range with a 20 MOA mount. This is approximately 5.8 Mrad of elevation. To make things even clearer – if the target was placed at 100 m, the scope with 20 MOA inclined rail would aim to the center of the target while the rifle’s barrel would aim 58 cm higher than the scope. This gives the shooter extra elevation needed for long range shooting. If you plan to shoot on distances longer than 600 meters, use of rail with 20 MOA is greatly recommended. There is no negative effect of the inclined Picatinny rail in the mounting setup if you only shoot on shorter distances. The same goes also the other way around, since if you don’t shoot on extreme distances then Picatinny rail with inclination is not needed.

About the rifle

Tikkakoski factory, the owner of Tikka brand, was established in 1893 in Finland and started manufacturing components for guns in 1918. In 1983, Tikkakoski was merged into Sako. Today, Tikka is a combination of Sako's world-famous engineering, values of traditional gunsmith craftsmanship and features of modern-world rifles. Sako became a member of the Beretta group at the turn of the millennium. Since then, it has access to advanced production methods which further enable refining of renowned products.

Tikka T3 is a series of popular bolt-action rifles, available in a wide range of configurations (Hunter, Hunter Stainless, Varmint, Varmint Stainless, Forest, Lite, Lite Stainless etc.). Sako chambers Tikka T3 rifles for many calibers: .204 Ruger, .222 Rem., .223 Rem., .22-250 Rem., .243 Win., .25-06 Rem., .260 Rem., 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55, .270 Win., .270 WSM, 7mm-08 Rem., 7mm Rem. Mag., 7x64, .308 Win., .30-06 Sprg., .300 WSM, .300 Win. Mag., 8x57 IS, .338 Federal, .338 Win. Mag. and 9.3x62. There are two locking lugs on the bolt. Barrel length is either 406 mm, 510 mm, 570 mm, 600 mm or 620 mm. In 2016, Tikka series was expanded – T3x was introduced to the public (a series of upgraded T3 models). All improved parts are compatible with the older T3 models. Tikka T3 has a 16.5mm dove-tail on the receiver, along with four mounting holes (two at the front and two at the rear), for mounting purposes. There is a recoil stop on the front mounting surface. The action is push-feed.

Rifles Sako M10, Sako TRG (all models), Brno Fox, Tikka T3, CZ 527, Brunner 16, Brno ZKM 611 and Brno ZKB 680 have actions of the same dimensions, which is why they share the same mounts. These rifles have a 16.5 mm dovetail on the receiver for mounting purposes. 

Rifles Tikka T3, 55, 65, 558, 590, 690 and Master have similar actions. This is why, for example, two-piece mounts made for Tikka T3 will fit rifles Tikka 55, 65, 558, 590, 690 and Master while one-piece mounts made for Tikka T3 will not fit rifles Tikka 55, 65, 558, 590, 690 and Master. These rifles do not have mounting surfaces with radiuses since they have a dove-tail on the receiver. Tikka rifles have a 16.5 mm dove-tail throughout the entire receiver length.

A: 22 mm
B: 82.2 mm
C: 22 mm
BHU: 0 mm
Fi: M3.5
R1: Prisma 16
R2: Prisma 16

Mounting instructions

Remove all the stains (grease, oil etc.) from the rifle's receiver with a cleaning fluid (acetone). Once the surface is clean and dry, check whether the screws match the rail and the holes on the receiver. Make sure that the Picatinny rail is compatible with the rifle by inspecting the mounting holes on both. Before mounting the rail permanently, apply a minimal amount of thread-locking fluid 278 or 648 on screws and contact surfaces. Be careful not to get the fluid in or near the mounting holes. Carefully clean the remaining excess fluid around the rail with a cleaning fluid. Using a torque driver, screw the screws appropriately (up to 2.2 Nm) – do not overtighten.

Warranty

The product has a warranty period of 30 years.