Looking to buy a Lever action gun, need advice.

[Nyles]

Well, unless you find an old model 1895 (and don't expect that to be cheap!) there's no such thing as a .30-06 Winchester lever action). You're probably thinking of a .30-30 Winchester 1894, which would be what I would suggest. Issue being they don't make them anymore, but you should be able to find a good deal on a used one.

Your other options would be a Marlin 336 or a Mossberg 464. The nice thing about them is they both come drilled and tapped to mount a scope. The Mossberg is a great price, but the issue you'll find is the trigger sucks, and there's not much possibility for improvement. The Marlin is a good rifle, but it's a little bulkier. I personally don't like them that much.