Hecktor,
first off...my apology...i wasn't doubting your 1973 purchase date (you even said "...if i remember correctly...")so there's no need to crawl around in your attic.
i took a hiatus from shooting / hunting from 1972 thru 1986...well,really 1968 thru 1986 so i missed a lot of stuff...been reading and researching since to catch up...the 22/250 was released in 1973.
this may help both of us......and others
www.rifleshootermag.com/featured_rifles/varmintw_070607
a buddy of mine has one and it's a beaut...probably like yours...he bought it NIB in the 80's and paid $600 for it...he uses his but very carefully...still looks NIB.
this thread was about the 224 Wby mag but your 22/250 is in the same class because the early VarmintMasters are extremely special...i learned something.
you have a Merry Christmas as well and a pretty good New Year too.
CL
and then there's this.....
The very first cartridge designed by Roy Weatherby in the 1940's was the .220 Rocket, an improved version of the .220 Swift. The Rocket was not exactly a howling success, because even back then, shooters knew that very little velocity could be gained by burning more powder in a .224" caliber bore than was consumed by the .220 Swift. Roy's second high velocity twenty-two was the .228 Weatherby Magnum, made by shortening and necking down the .300 H & H case for the 70 grain, .284" bullets.
i passed on one of these at gunshow in the 90's....price was way more than i could afford.....