I got a text from a friend a while back asking if I wanted to go to the shooting range. I was busy working on a project and said I couldn’t make it. My friend was adamant I show up, ensuring me it would be worth it. Clint Eastwood was coming to shoot that day, but my buddy wasn’t sharing that info over text. He was doing a good job of keeping Clint under the radar and respecting his privacy as well. Since he was insistent, I decided to grab my guns and head over.
I arrived at the range, grabbed my gear, and was trying to figure out what the big deal was that day. He informed me Clint Eastwood was on his way over to do some shooting. “Yeah right,” I said. He just gave me a look, letting me know he wasn’t joking around. Sure enough, Clint rolls up 5 minutes later.
Clint was cool. No oversized ego to navigate and no annoying celebrity qualities that are all too common, like neediness, complaints, and cringe-worthy snobbery. None of that. He came across as more of a blue-collar guy, right up my alley.
We started out shooting pistols. Clint was a good shot, and yes, he shot one-handed a lot of the time. The only point of improvement I offered him was to get his shoulders more forward like he was about to throw or receive a punch. Other than that, he was solid with his weapons handling. I wasn’t surprised as he has gotten a lot of training over the years preparing for films.
Here’s the awesome part. The moment the range went cold for the last time, Clint removes his hat, takes a knee, and starts picking up brass! My buddy and I told him he didn’t have to do that, but he said, “It’s no problem. I shot it and need to help clean up.” So, we all picked up our brass together, then we all went and had a few Coronas at a buddy's house with Clint.
Clint Eastwood picks up his own brass, and he didn’t make a big deal about it.
--Evan
]]>
