What lever gun and cartridge is "best" is a personal thing and largely depends on its end use. They are made to be modest range hunting rifles and that's where they shine. A Marlin 336 in .30-30 or, better yet, .35 Rem is at the top of the pile; the Win 94 in .30-30 is in a distant second place. Both with iron sights or, for old eyes, a compact 2x glass mounted very low.
IMHO, rifles chambered for handgun cartridges or uncommon obsolete cartridges that won't be found on gun store shelves are just personal pet toys; what's the point?