Why not just build yourself a simple 440 ground plane first, and see how it works for you? You can make one in around 10 minutes for only a few bucks, and it might surprise you as to how well it actually performs.
I would not waste time with a 440 ground plane. Given that any feed line you use is going to have some loss you want at least some moderate gain to offset line losses and have a net positive gain. Also height is very important on 440. The higher the better.