I love the right lever action, and there are more out there than one might think. Besides the pistol caliber carbines like the .357 and .44 mag, you can get up to a .338 win mag in a browning, or up to a .308 from henry. I think Henry even expanded that just days ago to include a few more. Browning calls theirs the “BLR” while Henry calls one of their lines the “Long Ranger”.
But my favorite has to be the Henry lever action .22. It is one smooth, and quick, little rifle!, and it is so accurate for me that I wouldn’t think of using snake shot, a bullet will go right where I want it at any distance where I cold even see the snake to shoot it.
Not all lever actions are created equal though, for me, I found the straight grip stocks just fit me, and the hold I get on them lends itself to steady shooting. Not so for the bent grip models.
So far my lever guns have always been iron sights. To go along with the other convenient aspects of a lever gun, the quick sight acquisition of open sights, and the simple, no fuss shooting were all part of the appeal, and still are.
For a bullet caster and handloader, the 30-30 lever action comes with an added benefit. It can drive a gas-checked lead bullet as fast as you can reasonably run any cast bullet out of a rifle, and the accuracy of a good cast lead bullet is well within the capability of the rifle. As a reloader I can get all the performance the rifle has to offer, and keep costs as cheap as I can shooting home cast 38’s, it also allows me to shoot it at times like this with little worry I’m going to run myself out of bullets, or pay the ever growing cost of off the shelf ammunition. The .357’s and 44 mags are much the same, provided you run gas-checked bullets with the increased velocity you get out of the longer barrels.
If only I could shoot other rifles as well off hand as I can the right lever gun. 
edit: Ps, thanks for the thread idea, I think I’m one who could use a break from his own serious feelings about things, good to get back to something fun.