Pinecone,
I respectfully disagree with you about velocity being the most important factor when comparing the effect on twist rate vs. bullet weight (especially in regards to stabilization). I can give you an example.
If you shoot a 77 grain .223 bullet out of a barrel with a 1/12" twist rate then this bullet will not be as stabilized as compared to if it were shot out of a barrel with a faster twist rate (especially at longer distances)....this is a common fact. A 77 grain .223 round does best out of a faster twist rate....this is also a general fact. The same goes for a 40 grain working best out of a slower twist rate.
However, it is not the velocity of the round that is dictating it's stability. It is the length of the round, most specifically, that is effecting stability. The longer the bullet the faster the twist needs to be in order to keep the bullet from becoming unsettled in flight. However, since bullets are not listed on ammo boxes by length then we use the direct correlation between length and weight and we just use weight as the catalyst or the control in the equation.
Every AR-15 owner eventually learns this formula and uses this information to match up ammunition with thier particular barrel's twist rate. My question is: Why is this not the case with revolvers (as some of the above comments are indicating)? If a fast twist always compliments a heavier bullet (within that caliber's weight range) in a rifle, then why is it the opposite case in a revolver? This doesn't make sense to me.
Just stating that velocity is an important factor without stating "in which direction" or "to what extent" just kind of muddies up the discussion if you ask me. I'm not arguing your statement. I'm just not following how I can extract any practical logic out of what you have said.
If you had said, "barrel length will effect velocity, grain weight effects velocity, velocity effects energy transfer or powder charge effects velocity" then I would have said that I agree with you. However, this is not quite the topic of the discussion.
Twist rate vs. bullet weight (length) in a revolver....that is the question, that I had asked the others about.