I'd be tempted to try a Scout scope. Some outfit (Ashley's, Williams, ...?) makes a scout mount for Marlin leverguns that uses the rear iron sight dovetail, and the most forward "normal" scope mount screw holes; eliminating any gunsmithing work, and making it completely "reversible", with no after-effects if you decide you don't like the scout setup.
If you use Leupold's "QRW" rings, (I do), you can dismount and remount the scope with no detectable loss of zero; allowing the use of irons as well. (Obviously the irons would need to be weaver-mountable as well; much like the fold-down sights that some use on flat-top AR-15's.)
I have one gun with a scout-type scope; a bolt-action .308, and love it. With its long eye relief and low (2+)-power magnification, it's faster to use than any scoped rifle I own, and even faster than most of the iron-sighted guns I have. It's THAT fast. On a lever-action brush gun, those attributes would be even more beneficial than on a bolt-action. Yet it's still enough magnification for up to a couple hundred yards (JMO, obviously).
Leupold makes scout scopes, and Redfield used to. (Mine's a Redfield) Don't know if the Redfield is still available or not, but I really like mine.
I've considered this very setup on a 336 as a gift for my father in law. His sight isn't what it used to be, and lining up front sight, rear sight, & target on his lever-action .44 magnum now takes him way too long. A Marlin with a scout scope would likely be a great help to him.
Anyway, that's my opinion. If I were going to scope a medium-to-large caliber levergun with a max usable range of 200 yards, it would absolutely be a scout scope.
YMMV.
