Brainstormin' 440 vs 5.9 ...

You can make over 500 hp + with 9.5 cr pushing the cam a bit with decent head work, but that’s two points over the rv 440 and that you need to work for or buy pistons which is what I recommend. You can drop 200 grams per piston over stock pistons +compression.
If 318willrun wants to run higher compression I'm for it, but doesn't seem like he wants to spend $$$ on it which is also fine, he'll still make power just about 10% less and there's nothing stopping him down the road doing do later if he ever chooses.