Shawn really went the extra mile with his response, and his thoughts are spot-on. I'll expand on one area, what to do with your current rifle.

.308 is not ideal for a beginner. Ballistics aside, a beginner is going to have a very difficult time spotting impacts in anything but a pure prone position, and will probably have difficulty there, too. I can't overemphasize Shawns point that if you don't see your bullet hit you won't learn anything about shooting in the wind.

You're in a great position since you're not loading yet and I assume you're not highly invested in gear yet. Consider ditching that .308 barrel immediately and get it rebarreled in 6.5 Creed if you don't want to reload or one of the 6's if you're willing to start loading right away. If you're not an experienced loader, I'd start shooting with 6.5 Creed and buy match ammo from Prime Ammo or the like. After 500-1,000 rounds, you'll have a good sense of how accurate your rifle is with that ammo, so you'll have a good baseline for reloading. You'll also have a nice pile of brass to get you started. A custom barrel will have the further benefit of being more accurate than the factory tube. This is especially important to new shooters because when you miss you can rule out the gun.

Follow Shawns advice and start going to some of the many local matches available. You're learning pace will be hugely accelerated. You'll find the local guys very willing to help if you just ask.