Winchester 70 Bolt Action Rifle Owners Manual

							bled. Disassembling the bolt can be done in the field, but
remember, there are small parts involved, some of which
are under spring tension. 
BE CERTAIN THERE ARE NO CARTRIDGES IN
THE MAGAZINE OR CHAMBER. 
DISASSEMBLY Ñ
1. To remove the bolt the firing pin must be in the
cocked position. If it already is, proceed to step 2. If not,
first perform the following: With the rifle unloaded and
the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, cock the firing pin
by raising and lowering the bolt handle. 
2. Place the safety in the intermediate position.
3. Raise the bolt and remove it from the rifle as explained
previously.
4. Depress the small breech bolt sleeve lock with your
thumb (See Figure 17) and turn the breech bolt sleeve to
the left (counterclockwise looking from the rear of the
bolt). It takes about six turns for the breech bolt sleeve
(and the connected firing pin assembly) to unscrew from
the breech bolt. Carefully pull the entire assembly out of
the breech bolt.
19
FIGURE 17
Press on the breech bolt sleeve
lock with your finger. 
Unscrew the breech bolt sleeve. 
						

							5. Be extremely careful to leave the safety in the interme-
diate position. 
6. It is not necessary or recommended that you disassem-
ble the firing pin assembly further than this 
(See Figure 18). 
7. Carefully wipe clean and very lightly oil the assembly.
Aerosol lubricants are excellent for forcing out any dirt,
grit or moisture. 
REASSEMBLY Ñ
1. Screw the firing pin assembly back into the breech bolt
until the breech bolt sleeve lock engages the notch in the
breech bolt.2. Reinsert the bolt into the receiver as explained previ-
ously.
IMPORTANT:Should the safety be inadvertently put in
the forward (fire) position with the firing pin removed,
the firing pin will be released forward and locked in the
forward position. This makes reassembling the firing pin
into the breech bolt somewhat more difficult. 
As the breech bolt sleeve/firing pin assembly is screwed
back into the breech bolt the cocking ramp of the firing
pin must compress then uncompress several times before
the assembly is fully screwed in. Place the breech bolt on
a flat hard surface and using the breech bolt handle and
the head of the bolt as a support, firmly turn the breech
bolt sleeve clockwise until it snaps into position. Once
the bolt assembly is installed in the action and the bolt
closed and cycled, the firing pin will recock, and the safe-
ty can be moved back to the intermediate or rear position. 
SIGHT ADJUSTMENTS 
Some Model 70 rifles are fitted with open sights. The
style and adjustment system may vary between models
and grades. The proper procedure is to shoot a group with
the sights set as they come from the factory (intermediate
position on both elevation and windage), and then make
20
FIGURE 18
Disassembled bolt. Firing pin. 
						

							incremental adjustments to move the sight blade and
blade holder to position the group on your target. The
procedures below are for the most common type of open
sights found on Model 70 rifles. 
BEFORE MAKING ANY SIGHT ADJUSTMENTS,
MAKE SURE YOUR RIFLE IS FULLY
UNLOADED AND THE MUZZLE IS POINTED IN
A SAFE DIRECTION.  PLACE THE SAFETY IN
EITHER THE INTERMEDIATE OR REAR SAFE
POSITION.
UP OR DOWN ELEVATION ADJUSTMENTS.
Adjusting your rifle to shoot higher requires you to raise
the rear notch on your rifleÕs elevation adjustment. With
most Model 70 sights this is accomplished by first loosen-
ing the screw on the elevation adjustment and then mov-
ing the rear sight blade (the part with rear notch) upward.
Use your fingers to lift it up. Then retighten the screw.
Marked index lines give you a reference as you adjust the
sight. Adjusting the sight to make your rifle shoot lower is
just the opposite Ñ move the sight blade down.
Remember: 
¥ Move the blade up to shoot higher.
¥ Move the blade down to shoot lower.
RIGHT OR LEFT WINDAGE ADJUSTMENTS. 
On most Model 70 sights, the entire rear sight blade hold-
er is dove-tailed in the rear sight base. To adjust for
windage, first loosen the rear sight windage screw which
secures the rear sight blade holder in the dove-tail on the
base. Gently move the rear sight blade holder to the right
with your fingers. Your gun will now shoot more to the
right. Moving the blade holder to the left is just as easily
done. The position of the rear sight base with respect to
the sight mount on the barrel is marked with index lines.
Note how much you adjust the sight as you sight in your
rifle. Remember: 
¥ Move the rear sight to the right to shoot farther to
the right on the target. 
¥ Move the rear sight to the left to shoot farther to
the left on the target. 
After each adjustment, and before shooting, tighten the
rear sight windage screw. 
On some sights the front sight blade (base) is dove-tailed
in the front sight ramp. The blade can be tapped right or
left to attain additional windage adjustment or to replace
a damaged front sight. Under most circumstances this is
never necessary. Adjusting sights is a matter of trial and
21 
						

							error. Make incremental adjustments then check 
the result. 
Care should be taken not to mar the finish or bend sights
when adjustments are made. The rear sight blade can be
folded down and the front hood removed for storage or
when a scope is used.
CLEANING ANDMAINTENANCESUGGESTIONS
The Model 70 will function better and more reliably over
a longer period of time if it is properly maintained and
kept clean.
BEFORE PERFORMING ANY CLEANING PRO-
CEDURES, ALWAYS MAKE CERTAIN THERE
ARE NO CARTRIDGES IN THE CHAMBER,
MAGAZINE OR ACTION/FEED AREAS.
You should clean your Model 70 after every day of 
shooting and more often if it becomes excessively dirty. 
If shooting for extreme accuracy your Model 70 should 
be cleaned after every 50 shots or even as few as every 
25 shots under competitive conditions. 
A minimum cleaning includes wiping down the action
and oiling key parts. Most regular maintenance will also
include cleaning the barrel. If you encounter a function
problem (tight action when working the bolt), be sure togive your gun a thorough cleaning to see if it solves the
problem before seeking the services of our service facility
or a competent gunsmith.
To clean your firearm, follow the general outline below:
CLEANING PROCEDURES Ñ
BE CERTAIN YOUR GUNÕS CHAMBER AND
MAGAZINE ARE UNLOADED. ALWAYS WEAR
PROTECTIVE SAFETY GLASSES DURING 
ALL CLEANING PROCEDURES. KEEP 
AMMUNITION AWAY FROM THE CLEANING
AREA. DO NOT TEST THE FUNCTION OF
YOUR FIREARM WITH LIVE AMMUNITION.
Always place the safety in the intermediate ÒonÓ (safe)
position before beginning any cleaning procedure.
Remove the bolt from your rifle as explained previously.
1. Use a cleaning rod with a tip and patch suitable for the
caliber of your Model 70Õs bore. Make sure the patch is
large enough for a snug fit in the bore. Insert the rod and
patch into the barrel at the receiver end and run it back
and forth several times. Use a crown protector if you are
cleaning from the muzzle end of the barrel. Damage to the
crown of a barrel can affect the accuracy of your rifle.
22 
						

							If your Model 70 is equipped with the BOSS accuracy
device please refer to special instructions on cleaning
found in the BOSS special supplement manual. If your
special BOSS manual is missing, write or call our
Customer Service department for a free copy.
2. Inspect the chamber and bore for brass, copper and
powder fouling. A normal amount of powder residue can
be expected and is not serious. It can usually be removed
by repeating step one, using a patch saturated with sol-
vent. If or when fouling should become heavy, it can be
removed with a brass bore brush. Dip or spray the brush
with solvent and scrub the chamber and bore until the
fouling is removed. To prevent brass bristles from 
breaking off, the brush should be pushed completely
through the bore before being withdrawn.
3. After fouling has been removed the bore should be
wiped dry. Then pass a slightly oiled patch through 
the bore, for preservation. A fine, light gun oil 
is recommended.  
4. Wipe all exposed metal surfaces of the receiver, forearm
and barrel with a clean rag. Finger marks should be
removed because they provide a place where moisture can
accumulate. Any dried oil in the receiver area should also
be removed. 5. Lightly oil your gun at the points described under
ÒOiling the ActionÓ explained earlier in this manual.
Ordinary good judgment will, of course, indicate that the
metal of the gun should receive a light film of oil any time
the rifle has been exposed to weather or handling. This is
very important and must be done with every rifle Ñ even
stainless steel models. Remember, the polished, finely 
fitted surfaces of the receiver and action mechanisms must
always have a thin film of oil. Make sure that the surfaces
of the breech bolt are especially clean and lightly oiled
with a high quality gun oil. Do not use pure silicone 
or lanolin.
6. Inspect the barrel and chamber. Make certain that no
patches have been inadvertently left in them. Remove
any that remain.
7. Wipe all wood surfaces.
8. When transporting only, store your Model 70 in a 
quality protective case to prevent scratches and dents.
Store in a dry place to prevent corrosion. Store away 
from children. 
MAKE SURE YOUR RIFLE IS UNLOADED AND
ALWAYS STORE AMMUNITION SEPARATELY.
23 
						

							OTHER CLEANING SUGGESTIONS Ñ
¥ Never pour large quantities of oil into the receiver or
other parts. It can drain down to the wood and soften it
Ñ and cause permanent damage and loosening of the
stock.
¥ After extended periods of heavy use, your gun should 
be taken to a qualified gunsmith to have the action 
disassembled for professional cleaning and lubrication.
NEVER ATTEMPT TO TAKE YOUR MODEL 70
APART FURTHER THAN EXPLAINED IN THIS
MANUAL. 
This is a specialized, finely fitted mechanism. You may
permanently mar it by attempting to disassemble the
inner mechanism assemblies. If further disassembly for 
service or cleaning is required, take your gun to a U. S.
Repeating Arms Company recommended Service Center
or a competent gunsmith as explained under ÒService 
or Repair.Ó
ORDERINGPARTS
To order parts, please write our parts department and 
furnish the following: your name, address, and telephone
number. Also specify the caliber, model, serial number
and grade of your Winchester Model 70. When we
receive your request, we will send an order form and a
parts breakdown with prices.
Write to:
Parts Department
U.S. Repeating Arms Company, Inc.
275 Winchester Avenue
New Haven, Connecticut 06511-1970
CAUTION: PARTS ARE MADE FOR
WINCHESTER BRAND GUNS MANUFACTURED
BY U.S. REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, INC.,
AND SHOULD NOT BE USED IN OTHER GUNS
EVEN THOUGH MODELS MAY BE SIMILAR.
IMPROPERLY FITTED PARTS MAY BE 
DANGEROUS.
24 
						

							SERVICE ORREPAIR
If your Winchester Model 70 rifle should ever need repair
or service we suggest you utilize one of the world-wide
network of U.S. Repeating Arms Company Authorized
Service Centers for Winchester firearms. A special service
center for your Model 70 also provides the full scope of
service for your rifle. If you have any questions about how
to obtain service for your Winchester Model 70 rifle, call
or write our Firearms Service Center:
Firearms Service Center
U.S. Repeating Arms Company, Inc.
275 Winchester Avenue
New Haven, Connecticut 06511-1970
Phone:  (203) 789-5008 or
1-800-945-1392
When returning your firearm for servicing you must.
1. Make sure it is completely unloaded.
2. Package the firearm securely. Wrap the rifle in paper or
other protective packaging and place gun in the original
box, including a note of explanation. (The box supplied
with your rifle will protect the gun, but is not designed forshipping.) Place inside a cardboard box approved for
strength in interstate shipping. U.S. REPEATING ARMS COMPANY IS NOT
RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE INCURRED
DURING SHIPPING.
3. Ensure that a letter is enclosed with your firearm
(attached to it in some way) describing the trouble 
experienced and the repairs or alterations desired. 
Include your complete address and both work and home
phone numbers. 
4. Remember, never return ammunition with your
firearm. It is against postal and most commerce 
regulations.
If you have other questions about Winchester rifles and
shotguns, call or write our Customer Service department:
Customer Service
U. S. Repeating Arms Company, Inc.
275 Winchester Avenue
Morgan, Utah 84050-9333
Phone: 1-800-945-5237
25 
						

							26 
						

							27 
						

							28