Huntaway - I think you should give it a go. I've built several long bows starting from a log. They weren't easy and things that are rewarding rarely are. Starting from a split stave, I built the last and best one in 12 hours, roughing it out with a band saw and the rest with draw knife, rasps, and sand paper. That was using Osage Orange (hedge apple, bois d'arc). Beautiful wood but hard as iron. That involved following a single growth ring of the tree and constant "tillering" to assure balanced limbs, something you won't have to worry about in a stock. I'd go with maple as others have suggested for the first try. You may want to select a piece according to the grain; quarter sawn if you want beauty. I'd sure want a stock in hand before and during the process to look at and handle to result in a near replica. Don't know how you'll get that. The inletting is what has held me back from trying this myself. More tedious than anything. If I had a thumbhole stock to copy I'd be tempted to make one for my hawken components! Wouldn't that be a Heinz 57 with my GM barrel on it!

Do you suppose TC might have a cracked stock they'd part with for a template?