I was in the same situation last year and decided to pick up a Savage instead. http://www.wholesalesports.com/images/savage/167906.gif
I really liked the feel compared to the Marlin. I picked it up for $299 CAD. that means you could probably find it for $180 US I' m guessing. The one big reason I liked the clip as opposed to the tube loader was the amount of ammo you will use. It' s no lie, we usually don' t make our shots count as much when we know we have 10 more to back up that one. The ammo is double the price of a .22 LR and it adds up if you shoot as much as I do. I topped mine off with a Simmons 3-9 .22 Mag scope and it' s great out to 150 yds. You really should feel both guns before you buy the Marlin, I really liked the Savages synthetic stock and heavy stainless barrel, you can' t go wrong for the price and it has worked flawlessly. The fiancee got me a bi-pod this year for Christmas so I' m primed to head out for gophers as soon as this weather breaks. Good luck on your choice! JDinAB