The DPMS Oracle 308 Rifle Review: Ready to Hunt and Born to Turn Heads

Panther Arms is known for the quality firearms it produces and when it comes to the DPMS Oracle 308, it has not disappointed either. In fact, the 308 version is one of the most popular brands produced by Panther Arms. It comes out of the box with accurate installations and almost ready for hunting. All you need to add is the optics, followed by loading it with the appropriate ammo and you will be ready to get out and hunt. In this DPMS Oracle 308 review, we purpose to discuss everything necessary about this noble firearm, from construction to performance.

DPMS Oracle 308 Rifle

DPMS Oracle 308 Rifle

Firearm Specifications

  • It is a .308 Oracle model, .308 Win caliber
  • Features a 16-inch barrel length
  • Centerfire rifle type
  • 20+1 round magazine capacity
  • Semi-auto action
  • Hard-coat anodized barrel and receiver finish
  • Matte black synthetic stock finish
  • 8.3 pounds in weight

Construction

Portability

This is an impressive portable design that can easily be carried for extended periods within the woods. This is because of its size and weight. The gun weighs just 8.3 pounds. Though this is not the lightest weight you can get on the 308 platform, it is much lighter than most of its counterparts. In addition, 8.3-pound weight is very manageable.

The DPMS Oracle 308 review talks of a gun that features a 16-inch compact barrel length design. Unlike some of the other compact designs out there, the barrel length of the DPMS Oracle 308 has highly been reduced, not at the expense of the muzzle rise and the felt recoil. These two have still been considerably maintained at a low.

Barrel Construction

Barrel material: HBAR 4140 chrome-moly

Barrel material: HBAR 4140 chrome-moly

This is an important gun part when it comes to durability issues. It is the part that suffers the most, or rather is subjected to the worst abuse in any gun. It experiences too much impact, in addition to potential corrosion subjection. The amounts of heat and flash generated within the barrel are extreme. Without proper design and construction, your gun won’t last a few number of shots. As a result, most of the barrels feature steel construction. Unfortunately, steel is a very heavy and in most cases bulky. The result is a very heavy gun.

Fortunately, the DPMS Oracle 308 features a Chromemoly construction. This is a very strong material that is capable of withstanding the wear and tear that is a characteristic of the barrel environments. It is also able to withstand the much heat generated whenever a shot is fired. The good news though is the fact that the durability of the material doesn’t sacrifice the gun’s weight. It is partly because of the barrel and partly because of the receiver that the gun can afford such extreme lightweight specifications. A hard-coat anodized finish has been used to complement the rifle’s durability and dependability even further.

The Receiver

DPMS Oracle LR-308 Upper Receiver Assembly

DPMS Oracle LR-308 Upper Receiver Assembly

The lower and upper receivers are also subject to some of the worst experiences during shootouts. A lot of design time and resources are spent on these parts so as to enhance durability. The upper receiver is milled from a 7029 T6 aircraft grade aluminum construction. For the same reasons as in the case of the barrel construction, this specific aluminum material produces one of the best durability to lightweight ratio.

The lower receiver, on the other hand, has been extruded from a 6061-T6 aluminum which is also hardy and durable. To boost the durability of both the upper and the lower, they feature a hard-coat anodized finish. This secures the receivers from scratch and corrosion together with other harsh conditions.

These parts feature precision Mil-Spec design and construction, thus making them compatible with any Mil-Spec gun accessory. Featuring a flat top receiver type, the upper is capable of accommodating almost any optic device and other accessories you may want to install onto your gun. The same applies to the lowers.

The Stock

Stock: Pardus 6-position collapsible

Stock: Pardus 6-position collapsible

It comes with a signature DPMS 6-position Pardus Stock. The stock features a carbine- length that boosts the compact and portability aspect of the gun even more.

Overall Construction

All the single units discussed aren’t of any use if they haven’t been combined with the best components, and gone through the best precision construction processes. In the case of the DPMS Oracle 308, quality construction processes have been factored in during the entire construction process, starting from the selection of materials, all the way to the point when the gun is packed and shipped. An A2 Birdcage flash hider considerably reduces the gun flash whenever you shoot. This is not only safe for your eyes but also reduces the risks of causing confusion to the game thus starting your target. The result will probably be a missed shot.

The gun also features a Koeble single rail gas block system, together with an optic ready rear mounting rail.

For secure shooting and performance, GlacierGuards have been factored in the design.

DPMS Oracle 308 Rifle

DPMS Oracle 308 Rifle

Performance

Accuracy and Reliability

Excellent accuracy. After shooting it I became addicted to semi auto bench accuracy.

You will not need to visit a gunsmith right after buying the gun as is the case with most of the other rifles. This is because this DPMS Oracle 308 review is discussing a product that is accurate right out of the box. Whether you want to do shots at 100 yards or even 200 yards, all you need to do after getting the gun out of the box is to fix it with the right optic devices, load it with a correspondingly accurate ammo and start shooting.

Rugged Construction and Ergonomics

Panther Arms has ensured that they use their resources to produce a rugged gun construction that promotes its durability and resistance to stress, no matter the terrain. It also comes with ergonomically designed features that allow for smooth handling regardless of the weather conditions.

Gun Cleanliness and Accuracy

Though the ammo plays the major role when it comes to gun cleanliness, the gun anatomy itself has an important role to play as well. Guns whose barrels aren’t as smooth will definitely have a higher affinity to attract grime and other dirt. Lucky enough, the DPMS Oracle 308 features a smooth anodized coating that reduces the affinity of such trash. The result is a gun that will shoot so many hundreds and probably even thousands of shots with the accuracy and performance being still intact.

Similarly, the gun anatomy determines how easy it will be to clean your gun. With the barrel also being the main cleaning culprit, the finishing of such a feature, among other features determines how much time you will spend cleaning your firearm. The smooth finish featured in the DPMS Oracle 308 is a reason why you will take a relatively short time to clean your weapon. Scrubbing won’t be as intense as it would have been, were you to be dealing with a gun with a poor finish.

Pros and Drawbacks

Pros

  • Performance: There is no more important gun consideration than its reliability and dependability. If a gun has all the great features a gun can have but only lacks accuracy, it would be a product that you won’t even want to think about. Conversely, if it lacks in everything but is very accurate, you may just run for such a gun. The DPMS Oracle 308 is a very accurate gun out of the box thus a very reliable firearm.
  • Durability: This is, of course, another dependability aspect. You don’t want to spend your money on a gun that will only serve you for a few months or years. You want something that you will grow old with. The construction materials and procedures of the DPMS Oracle 308 have ensured that a durable lifetime firearm is the resultant.
  • Reputation: First of all, Panther Arms is a very reputable firearm construction company. Secondly, together with the smaller 5.56 cousin, the DPMS Oracle 308 is the most popular Panther Arms firearms. These two arms can be described as Panther Arm’s benchmarks.

Drawbacks

  • Its hammer is quite weak

Customer Reviews

Almost all the personal DPMS Oracle 308 reviews talk positively about this product. Customers aren’t only impressed by the quality of the product but also the quality of customer care service. It has one of the most impressive performance qualities to price ratio, coming with some of the best features that are only found in some of the very expensive guns. But the main selling point of the DPMS Oracle 308 is its extreme accuracy at 100 yards as well as at 200 yards. It is because of this attribute that the majority of the varmint and small game hunters hold the gun dearly as a primary hunting firearm.

The only downside that a number of customers talk about is that the hammer is a bit weak. This is, however, something that can't lead you not to buy the gun as there are numerous hammer replacement options you can always explore at your discretion.

Under few occasions, some customers have complained of DPMS Oracle 308 guns that aren’t as responsive as advertised. Lucky enough, Panther Arms has one of the most responsive customer care service provision. As a result, your gun will be replaced with one that surely works as advertised. It is normal that in almost any industrial production, one faulty piece can end up getting into the market. Your assurance is that if you land your hands on the right DPMS Oracle 308, which is the most likely scenario, you will come back to give it a positive review the next time you log into the site where you bought it from.

Frequently Asked Questions


Question: What would be my best choice of a DPMS Oracle 308 scope?

 Answer: The best choice of a scope for your gun is subjective. However, from the cheapest to the most expensive, the following scopes will deliver great results with your gun. They are: Bushnell Banner 3X9, Nikon ProStaff BDC 3X9/4X12, and Leupold VX-1 3X9, 4X12 or the 50mm objective options can serve you well. You can also research further as there are definitely other good products out there that will work wonders with the DPMS Oracle 308.


Question: Can the 7.62X51 caliber be shot using this platform?

 Answer: Yes. Indeed, the DPMS Oracle 308 has not only been chambered for the .308 Winchester but also the 7.62X51 NATO


Question: What barrel threads does it have, if at all it has any?

 Answer: The product features a removable flash suppressor that comes with the standard 5/8-24 barrel threads


Question: Is the DPMS Oracle 308 under production and is it available on the market?

 Answer: Yes. The DPMS Oracle 308 hasn’t been faced out of production. It is still among the active items and Panther Arms system production with distributors always placing big stock orders. It, therefore, can be found in most of the gun stores.

Conclusion

Making the bold decision of choosing the DPMS Oracle 308 comes with more goodies than drawbacks. The firearm produces some of the best field performances that can only be compared to the performance produced by some of its more expensive 308 brothers. All in all, with this DPMS Oracle 308 review, I bet you are now in a position to make a more informed decision when you want to buy this gun. I would really want to be associated with the best gun produced by a reputable leading gun manufacturer and that is why I won’t hesitate recommending the DPMS Oracle 308 to a friend.

2 thoughts on “The DPMS Oracle 308 Rifle Review: Ready to Hunt and Born to Turn Heads”

  1. Nice Article…
    Thanks For Sharing the useful information about dpms oracle 308 handguards is built to the newest generation of high profile DPMS specifications. Brand NEW to our lineup of handguards in the AR10/LR308 realm, Breek Arms is proud to introduce their version of the Free Float Forward Slant M-Lok Handguards

    Reply
  2. Is it really necessary, from a hunting rifle standpoint, to follow the recommended initial barrel break-in of cleaning after every shot?

    Reply

Leave a Comment