RE: .17 or .22 in a lever action?
I don't think henry'll compare to marlin model 39a or a winchester 9422 but they are good rifles for the price. Another damn goos lil rifle to consider is the excellent browning blr22. Those are top notch in my book.
The only reason I'm bringing up different rifles is because I think you might be happier with 1 of em in long term. Sometimes it's better to save a bit more and buy something that you'll never feel need to upgrade from.