For a “Hard Times” rifle I’d only consider calibers where ammunition would be obtainable. To me, that means eeither .30-06 or .308 Win, which would be available because of .30-06’s popularity, and .308 Winchester’s military cousin the 7.62x51mm NATO.
.243 Winchester is a great hunting round, but not a caliber you’ll easily find or be able to trade for. It’s nice to plan to do your own reloading, but if you are forced to relocate, you’re not going to pack you Dillon press with you.
“.243 Winchester is a great hunting round, but not a caliber you’ll easily find or be able to trade for.”
Interesting, down here in Texas I have never seen a sporting goods store or Wal-Mart that does not stock .243 ammo. Of course nothing is as plentiful as .223 or .22 LR.
One of the most accurate rifles I have is a Howa .243 with a Leopold Mark IV optic. I have taken many deer, sheep, and goats with it and never had to take a second shot.
FTA:
An easily procurable caliber with lots of reload data
For me that would be .308 for that CZ rifle. The .243 is fine, but not that popular or common.
In my experience, .243 is available anywhere you can buy the other common rounds such as 30-06, 308, .223, 30-30 etc.