Spring Valley Shooting Range — Local services in Spring Valley Township

!!!Call before you go!!! Get your range pass BEFORE you go, they don’t sell them on-site (at least they didn’t in the past). Many years ago we would take some old 2X10 boards, hammer, nails, and hand saw with us. People would shoot and break the benches for fun. Went into the military and after many years I came back to find it is an awesome place to shoot and well maintained with nice staff. Now they’re closed to update the range and make it better which is absolutely great. I understand weather delays and unexpected circumstances on a project like this and feel they are doing their best. HOWEVER, please have someone from DNR take the time to update the public. Type it in online and it says OPEN- Closes at 5:00pm today. With today’s social media it shouldn’t be difficult or time consuming to go online and let the public know the range is closed and show the date it was posted as well as the actual date of any updates added. Only thing that seems to be up to date is the answering machine message you get when you call, at least I think it’s up to date, not sure. Don’t misunderstand, while I complain about it, I’m not “mad”, just slightly annoyed and still elated with the DNR’s efforts and hard work in order to provide the public with these type of facilities (Keep up the good work & Thank You). Side note: Saw others posts referring to rude range attendants. While I have seen/heard them “yell” at people and it may be embarrassing to them, it wasn’t done in a condescending way. A guy just wants to grab something from his bench or turn 2 clicks on his scope before he forgets but it’s a cease-fire and he shouldn’t be near his weapon while people are down range (like I was), period. The attendant can’t says several times in a normal tone excuse me, excuse me. He says a loud and clear “HEY”, in order to get everyone’s attention and then tells the person to step back. This gets the perpetrator and bystanders attention, so the person breaking the rules stops immediately and bystanders also direct their attention to the situation as to take whatever action they needed to in order to avoid any accidents. Then everyone goes back to business (safely). You might just want to grab your water bottle you left sitting on the ground by your bench and feel it’s perfectly fine and completely safe, but remember, your the only one who knows what your thinking and feeling, everyone else just see’s you approaching your rifle while people are down range. Long winded but those are my thoughts on spring...

The good... This is a beautiful outdoor area with a nice covered range. There are various distances to shoot from for different skills and firearms. The price is unbeatable at $5/day or $24/year. You do not have a time limit, but can just be courteous depending on if folks are waiting. I find that the shooters here are very friendly and helpful with each other generally.

The bad... Because there are not automated returns for targets, ceasefires are called pretty frequently to tend to targets. This can be frustrating sometimes. Occasionally, you get Yay-hoos who come in loud-mouthed with hand-cannons and don't follow the range rules very well. This doesn't happen often, but it ruins the fun as compared to a private range or your own property.

The neutral... There are frequently new shooters on the range, which isn't a bad thing, but it's something you have to be aware of. Range Officers aren't consistent, but always have your best interest in mind. Sometimes they are on the line to enforce the rules VERY closely, and sometimes they leave it up to the shooters more and don't interfere. They are nice guys though, and don't get enough credit for...

This is my range of choice in SW Ohio. I have been going here since I was 7 years old and to see it evolve over the years has been impressive.

This range is very cost efficient compared to the indoor ranges around the Dayton area. A one day pass is $5 and I believe the yearly pass is $24.

There are some drawbacks though. On any nice weekend day it can get pretty packed on the 15/25/50 yard ranges, which is expected.. With the steady stream of people coming in on those days there are a lot of "ceasefires" called so people can place and remove their targets down range. I would just suggest, if you are planning to go shooting at the range, that you allot enough time in your day to make sure you don't feel rushed.

Also, be prepared to get feedback from the rangers stationed there if you are not following the posted rules.

This is a really great range though. I try to go Wednesday, Thursday or Friday to avoid some of the crowds (They are closed Monday and Tuesday and close at 5pm). Also, there is an unsupervised free clay shooting range near the...