Another thread got me thinking on this. My first gun was a Marlin Model 97 built sometime in the early 1900's, IIRC. It's all I used, loved the heavy octagonal barrel, took many chapparal rabbits.
Decades later looking for a good .22LR lever for small game and marksmanship training with open sights. I know nothing really, about this world now. I'm sure there will be a different recommendation for every shooter who loves his lever, but any recommendations for a good rifle that will be used in the field, a worker, that doesn't break the bank?