OP, funny you should ask....
My deer carbine has been a trapper length Marlin 94 (had it bobbed from 20") in .44 mag; it has a 4x scope right over the action. For a scope, Marlin is the way to go. It is a wonderful woods gun, 1600'sec loads are blue murder on deer; it's taken a bunch over the years. All have been DRT.
Had a Winchester Trapper 94 in .45 Colt; took a deer with it. Two gripes; the 94 rifle action is far too long for pistol cartridges, and the crossbolt safety is just flat obnoxious.
Turned mine into a Miroku/Winchester '73 in .45 Colt; really smooth, beautifully made, 7.5 lbs with a 20" barrel. Liked it, but it was bigger/heavier than the departed '94. Actually wanted the Miroku 92, but they weren't to be had.
But...still wanted a '92. As PPs have noted, '92s of any sort were made of unobtanium. Finally gave up, and ordered a Rossi '92, 16", .45 Colt. Light, handy, really rough around the edges, especially the trigger.
Ricer Winchesters started showing up, and finally got one on Gunbroker (my local dealer couldn't get me one...). Again, .45 Colt, 20", smooth as silk, and 6 lbs. This one's a keeper, as is the '73. Both are simply for my own entertainment.
Caliber...if you reload, .45 Colt all the way. Trailboss is wonderful, but there are other pistol powders that will work. It's most fun as a punkin' roller, but the '92 action will tolerate lots more. Lead bullets, at modest velocities, keep costs down. If you don't reload, then .38/.357 is the way to go, but even those can be hard to come by right now. Nine millimeter/5.56 are all they are making.
So ya' know, 92s really heave their empties; the Rossi worse than the Winchester. The '73 does not.
Sights...for a scope, get a Marlin, or a Henry. The arrival of scope sights are what drove Winchester to the little loved angle eject models. The buckhorns that arrived on all the above are virtually worthless for a guy my age; what you need is a peep, preferably a tang sight. The tang gives more sight radius, and works with old eyes. Current Miroku/Winchesters are drilled/tapped for a tang sight. The Rossi is not. Marbles/Midway will be happy to sell you the sight, along with the necessary screws, for both brands, but you'll need to drill/tap the Rossi. Not a terrible job, but it can go sideways. I do my own tapping, but wouldn't think of doing someone else's.
When we say 'plinking', centerfire is different than .22s. Can't imagine burning more than 50, but it's not like any of these guns are punishing to shoot. Even the .44 Mag isn't all that bad; my 100lb daughter took a deer with it.
For the OP, if you grew up with Westerns, as I did, there's lots to love with levers; good luck, hope you find something that suits.
Moon