How to accurately measure target distances?

I use a laser range finder and I usually stand at the side of my rifle so it puts my distance from the breach. I dont do it that way for any reason other than thats how I am setup at my bench. In the field I am ranging animals with the stock at m shoulder so its going to be longer by 10" roughly. For me thats plenty accurate enough or close enough. When ever I range from a bench at the shooting range I get 100 yds sitting at the bench as if I was setup to shoot. I dont know if it needs to be any more technical than that.
 
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100% get a laser. ORRRR get a compass with an azimuth. There's a trick we used to do in the military, and its really, really accurate +- maybe a meter or 2. Anyway. SO you shoot an Azmith at your target. Turn 180 degrees left or right. (basically, turn to walk) Walk until the azimuth changes 5 degrees from the original degree of the object. Count the number of steps. Every left step you took multiply by 11. That will give you a damn good distance. (Okay so I can't remember and don't have a magnetic compass near me right now. but its either every other step or every step. 99% sure its every other step.)
 
Thank you to all members who chimed in. Seems like several different ways to measure off distances. Yes, I have a range finder. But with my shaky hands it's hard to get a very accurate measurement and most of the time I average what the distance displays.

I was thinking that it really matters to a precision bench rest shooter and not so much for plinking at targets. I'm going to measure from the breach which is about 24 inches further back then the front of the bench where I would have thought of measured from . This would be the start of the slugs travel distance. I think this is the difference in the big prize money.
 
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100% get a laser. ORRRR get a compass with an azimuth. There's a trick we used to do in the military, and its really, really accurate +- maybe a meter or 2. Anyway. SO you shoot an Azmith at your target. Turn 180 degrees left or right. (basically, turn to walk) Walk until the azimuth changes 5 degrees from the original degree of the object. Count the number of steps. Every left step you took multiply by 11. That will give you a damn good distance. (Okay so I can't remember and don't have a magnetic compass near me right now. but its either every other step or every step. 99% sure its every other step.)
Could you show that trick to a few Marine Corps Lt's?? Might help them keep from getting "lost".

Smitty
 
(never mind)
Lol..

Ya i use to string out a 100' tape you know go out put a stake in at 100' 3 times and all.

Then at harbor freight they got a 330' tape a guy can string out 1 time straight pull for a 100y. And with coupons or sidewalk sale its like 8 bucks or so fepending on the coupon or sale that day.. ya made stringing out a 10m to 100y easy.. ( mine got feet on one side and meters on the other)