I knew a big lad that extended the stock on a Lee Enfield by screwing a bit of 2X4 on the butt end.
Point is that you can use a lot of different woods to make a stock, but it may not be pretty.
Years back I made a stock for a '94 Winchester out of Elm. It's a very straight grain and porous wood. The results were very serviceable, heavy, and tough, but not very pretty.
I know another fellow that made a stock for a 92 Winchester out of an abnormally large chunk of Sumac. That stock is gorgeous light green tinted, with plenty of figure. But not a wood I would choose for durability.
I took down a walnut in the yard a couple of years back, and I have a few pieces of that to work with. I'm not very good at stock making (terrible) but I have succeeded in the past, and eventually, I'll workup the courage to have at it again. Walnut gives strength plus beauty, and I think you can find local examples that are very nice.
