The Visionary

Some 30 years ago, Clark Vargas had a vision. He saw a world of carefully designed and engineered shooting ranges that would offer recreational shooters a first-class experience. At the time, it was uncommon thinking shared by only a few other fellow believers in the industry. But as a master marksman (a skill he developed while serving in the U.S. Army and from participating in high-power rifle, conventional shotgun, rifle silhouette, NRA action, and IPSC-style pistol competitions) and owner of an engineering consulting firm, he had the talent, the tools, and the means to act on his vision. The result of his out-of-the box thinking was a new generation of innovative facilities that has allowed the industry to not only grow, but to thrive.

There’s more to this story, as you’ll learn when you read this issue’s installment of FYI written by Shannon Farlow. One of Vargas’ insights particularly fascinated me. According to Farlow, “Vargas believes the range technology that shooters will be using for the next two to three decades has already been developed and is being implemented at many ranges. While it may sound exciting, many long-time competitive shooters have been slow to embrace the changes.”

He understands their reluctance to change. “They’re purists. These people are masters. These are people who have developed their sensitivities and their ability to shoot to a very high level—and then we're asking them to change their methodology.”

This attitude reminds me of how long it took hunters to accept GPS technology. Initially many dismissed it out of hand (early models were very expensive, which didn’t help), but the most vocal opponents were those who had learned to navigate backcountry areas with a compass and a topo map. To them, a handheld instrument that told you where you were and could give you a route home was heresy. But initial scorn gave way to gradual acceptance of this new technology, and now many hunters will not go afield without a GPS-enabled smart phone.

As Farlow notes, shooting sports technology will likely follow a similar trajectory. As the older shooting pros eventually age out, Vargas predicts they will be replaced by a younger generation who will prefer the technological advancements.

In addition to helping create the physical layout of a new range, Vargas has always encouraged range owners ranges to “think big” and look deep into the future with the aim of not only providing an unrivaled shooting experience for current shooters, but to consider (and accommodate) the different needs of the next generation. As he says, this master plan idea allows the owners and operators of shooting ranges “to support the future needs that they don't realize they're going to have.”

Now, that’s what I call visionary.