I mainly hunt in steep, semi-cleared country for pest control purposes. Distances extend out to 250m across valleys but mostly shots are in nice and close in brush. I have a Marlin 30/30 which is just perfect for this; loaded up hot with a fancy hunting projectile it
wrecks truly medium-sized game (like pigs and deer). But in fact I mostly run a moderate lead load for improved accuracy - it's a 2 minute rifle with this load. FWIW reduced loads are 1) easier on rifle 2) easier on the brass 3) easier on the shooter 4) projectiles don't need to be expensive 5) more accurate (potentially)
With this load I feel confident attempting 200m shots on smaller game like roos and goats (which is the vast majority of pests at that location). The catch is you gotta be super across your trajectories; I have quick adjustment knobs on my sights which I pretty much tweak for every shot, and I carry a little range finder around my neck to help me estimate those longer distances.
I run a .093" aperture with a fine blade - I love shooting with irons because of the reduced overall weight and bulk. I also have a ching sling on it which allows me to quickly adopt a stabilized position for the longer shots. I can without a doubt say it's my favorite no frills hunting setup; I can carry it in one hand for literally hours at a time.
Now in saying all of that, I have run a scope on it in the past. Indeed a low-power scope makes hunting
significantly easier, but it comes at the cost of added weight and bulk (well, at least my old scopes are heavy!). I've never tried a red-dot or holo - I bet they are pretty kick-arse
!
TLDR: +1 for the 30/30 lever, just don't expect moa accuracy.