I agree on the 12ga shotgun thing.
In most cases very effective & cheaper by far.
But lever guns have their own wonderful charm, which is why I own .45-70, .30-30, .357 and a .22.
I think the .45-70 is a lot of fun to shoot, in the same way that it's fun to shoot off rockets and cherry bombs.
And while I do not hunt, if I had to I know that the .45-70 would take care of any close range animal.
That's a comforting thought, even though I basically bought it as a toy.
While I do not buy what you would consider "investment quality" firearms, I also buy guns as an investment because I know that they will withstand inflation well, here in California.