Is bipod placement important?

[Phatcow]

I used to always run my bipod as far forward as possible but a while ago I saw this peculiar detail pointed out around the 2 minute mark in the video about bipod placement:


I wasn't sure if it really mattered on my rifle. ...but I wasn't going to not try it.
My bipod now sits about 2/3 of the way forward on my rail instead of all the way forward. This helps give me a couple extra degrees of elevation for the hilly terrain I compete in, but I have no idea if this has affected accuracy or consistency in any way...
Opinions? Does it matter?

 

[KnowNothing256]

If I understand him correctly, he's talking about the handguard bending just enough to shift a mounted laser such that it no longer holds zero. If that's what he means, then it shouldn't have any bearing on a scoped system that isn't using a forend-mounted laser (I could see it affecting a front-mounted NV too, I suppose, depending on a few things).

If you don't have any optics on the forend, then moving the bipod is probably not advantageous purely from an accuracy standpoint (convenience or maneuverability are different concerns), as it will tend to magnify wobble while on the bipod. The further back the bipod, the larger the POA shift from any minute movement at the buttstock.

ETA: This is a large part of the thought process behind people running spigot mounts on rifles, to move that bipod connection point farther forward to reduce wobble.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

This is why an ARCA mounted bipod on a precision rifle is cool. You can experiment with this stuff a lot then adjust on the fly when terrain or angles require a wider field of fire vs. maximum precision.
I have noticed increased stability from a fully forward bipod making it easier to get the most accuracy out of the gun.
Too bad ARCA rails suck to use on a more general purpose rifle.