I don't have personal experience with handgun hunting, but I've been doing some reading about it. My research is oriented toward the .44 Magnum, which I intend to use. The indications so far are that the .44 Magnum is a humane round for deer out to about 100 yards from a revolver (6 to 8 inch barrel). Much past 100 yards, you will have problems adjusting for the drop. If you score a hit, the bullet may not have enough energy to do a good quick job.
Both Remington and Winchester provide access to ballistic information on their web sites. You might want to check out the ballistics of their .41 Magnum loads and compare them to their .44 Magnum loads. Chances are, the results will suggest that the .41 Magnum is OK, and that its performance improves as you cut down the range. For hunting purposes, I'd go with heavy bullets and 'hot' (but safe) loads. Fortunately, you are eyeballing a Ruger, so structural strength should not be an issue.