Some of the best powders that have worked well for me in 308: Varget, IMR 4895, Accurate 4064. Quality brass is going to be hard to find right now. My personal favorite is Nosler; again it's hard to find. Lapua makes great brass as well. I've always like CCI primers but I'm also going to be using Winchester large rifle primers. As far as manuals go, don't hesitate to buy them. They have great information about getting started in loading and how to develop accurate and precise loads. I have never bought store ammunition for 308 so I can't tell you about federal. RCBS makes excellent dies. You didn't mention what range you intend to shoot or what you shoot.