A BlackHawk is certainly a capable weapon. !!! I like to pair my SBH .44 with a .22 rifle. Sometimes my El Patron .45 Colt if I'm trying to pinch every pound, but the extra weight of the SBH over the EL Patron is worth it considering the difference in power level. In your Ruger, the .45 can be loaded to match the .44 Mag, if desired. I'd be afraid to load my EL Patron hot, and wouldn't, although I have no idea what the strength limitation is on that pistol. I load a 250 grain bullet to just shy of 1000fps for field duty, but shoot it with 230 at only about 850-900fps. I did shoot it with the black powder load of 40 grains for a while, which duplicated the standard 9 grains of Unique load. (or visa-versa)
Any weight saved on gear is more food, water, or gun and ammo for sure. My search for lighter and more efficient gear is never ending. I go through my pack on a regular basis, deciding: "do I need that?" "do I need that much of that?" etc.
My more heavier combination, which is probably my most efficient combo as far as having both protection from the beasts, but maximum small game getting ability would be the .44Mag pistol paired with my old "Hawthorn Warrior" bolt action .22LR rifle. (actually a Mossberg) It is 6.7 pounds, not bad but much heavier than my other .22 rifles. But, it's one of my few scoped rifles, (period correct little .22 scope, came with the gun) holds sixteen rounds, and is so dang accurate it must be shot to be believed. Seriously. Not kidding. As a bonus, with the CCI Quiet, it's report is about the same as a powerful air rifle. That rifle could live off the land for a long time.
My other .22's are very accurate, but that rifle with it's extra weight, and the long barrel putting some weight up front, is more easy to shoot accurately. I dearly love my Little Badger, but it is hard to hold steady. My other two old "boy's rifles" are somewhere in between.
So, decisions decisions.
I would like to have a .22Magnum pistol. If they made a super-light load in .22Mag, like the .22LR "Quiet" I'd be hard pressed not to get one. ! I know that there are some, or "a" reduced load out there, but I think it's hard to find...not popular with the .22 Mag fans. And probably not reduced as much as I would like. ?!!?