Inletting a gunstock Blank?

Any suggestions on where you would start with inletting a rifle stock blank?

There appears to be three areas that need attention:
Barrel channel (length of top of the blank)
Receiver (top of blank)
magazine & trigger (bottom of blank)

any info appreciated

Thanks for all of the input... I used a jointer to square the walnut, then used a planer to get it to the right thickness, then cut the outline of the stock blank. I scribed the middle line all the way around it around with a carpenter's marking gauge.
I found that if I ran broad sweeping strokes with a sharp pencil held sideways, across a piece of paper on the bottom of the original stock, I got a perfect image of the bottom of the action. with sharp lines from the original military stock to use as a pattern. This is being transferred to the bottom of the stock blank. and will be a simple guide for drilling holes for the inletting action screws/ bolts.

BTW, I found a stack of Black walnut wood that had airdried for 7.5 years at a friend's house, and found one cutting from it that had beautiful grain.... there was enough in the one plank to build about 3 rifle stocks, but one part of it was amazing. I twas destined to become a piece of furniture, but i talked him out of it...It really does not show up in the picture that well, but it just looked like it wanted to be a rifle stock... I purchased the 12 inch wide, 3 inch thick, 4 foot long quarter sawn plank for $20.00, using it for a Mosin Nagant 91/30 that i plan on using for hunting in the future.... it will be my under $100.00 huntign rifle (not including time).. I plan on keeping all original parts, will not Bubba'ize them.

Thanks again guys for all of the information. That's too bad that'll be Les Brooks last gunstock... His work is amazing, and with the "portable workshop"... He makes it look easy. I saved his link, for future reference.
-I started the inletting last night, using a drill press to drill the action screws, then used a router table and a half-round bit for the barrel channel, then used forstner's bit's(1/4"& 3/8") to remove excess wood around magazine & trigger guard, which protrude all the way through the blank, and are helping to inlet the location of the action . Enough wood was left in place so that hand work will finish up with tight fit.(files & rasps)-

I'm forgoing the cheek piece for simplicity's sake, (Sorry, Mr. Weatherby), and will have a straight comb.

As i started this thing 2 things have happened. I seem to lose track of time when "in progress"... A couple hours would pass by before i realized it..But my wife seems to keep track of time for me, better than timeclock at work.

Pics of progress are attached... I'm using combination of hand tools & power tools, taking my time, but inletting is about 70% complete. It's as difficult as i thought it would be.

Mosin Nagant, Custom Stock

Walnut blank inletting is complete, action fits, and barrel is free-floated. outside forming of the stock will be next. So far i have $12.00 invested in the piece of walnut, + about 30 hours.

More Progress

I have sort of used a THR as an online journal for progress of this project. Many thanks for all of the information you guys provided. This is my first stock, and am pleased at how it is turning out. It's been cold, so have something to do in the evenings to keep busy. just have some sanding left to do, a little rounding here and there, and install pad and grip, & finishing.

This was not bad for a high-power rifle for less than $100.00

A pic of the piece of walnut i started from is attached.. If you take your time, and use some of the methods posted in the thread ABOVE, you will be satisfied with the results. - I used a drill press to drill out the holes that went all the way through the stock, then used files and rasps to straighten everything out. a Dremel tool with various sanding discs was used for finer work, along with a 1/2 dozen various chisels, and sandpaper.

I have a Winchester Model 70 that has a comfortable stock, and a Traditions muzzleloader with a stock that fits me well. I traced the two stocks on the white back of christmas wrapping paper (biggest large paper sheet i could find laying around the house), also traced the original military stock, then combined the three patterns together, to make one stock profile pattern that i knew was dimensionally correct.

I then transferred the pattern to piece of scrap plexiglass (obtained for free from a local glass distributor), and cut it on a bandsaw. I used the plexiglass to find the best grain/fit within blank, before sawing it out.

More progress

Recoil pad has been added, custom walnut grip cap turned on a lathe, (actually not really a lathe... used my drill press... I have a small grinder wheel attachment that is made for a power drill, and i took the grinder wheel out, and replaced the 2" round grinder wheel with a small disk of walnut. i then used a file to smooth it out round, then used chisel set to carve some decorative rings in the bottom) ...& white lined both... still final forming & some sanding and left to do, then finishing. - Liberty 1776, i did not realize stock blueprints existed... I saw a couple of sets on Brownell's. I'm too far along at this point to order them.

Here are pics of completed stock project, with semi gloss finish. custom pistol grip cap, cheek piece added as an afterthought. will glass bed the action next for supert tight fit.