BTDT, Zippy, so be prepared to go broke, LOL!
Here's what I've learned:
-- Don't use a Mauser action. First off, the quality of the metal treatment 50 years ago, plus the unknown factor of what the action may have gone through in the last half-century, mean it's WAY harder to make accurate, and may even be unsafe, particularly with a high-pressure round like .300 WinMag.
In particular, the Mauser factories used slightly softer metal and then a very hard heat-treating. This left an extremely hard, rigid but very thin surface. So when you drill-and-tap it for scope mounts and to remove the stripper-clip charging hump, you will bust a bunch of bits ... and also weaken the receiver by removing part of the thin hard surface. Plus, if you polish the receiver in preparation for refinishing, you're weakening it. I have seen beautifully built M98 sporters whose actions have "stretched" enough to make them unsafe to fire. And this problem can't be fixed.
And then there's cost: Sure, you can get a VZ24 action cheap. But then you need to drill-and-tap for the scope ($60-100); bend, reform or replace the bolt handle to clear a scope ($75-150); replace the safety with one that clears a scope ($35-$200); replace the two-stage military trigger ($50-$150); and refinish the works ($100-$200).
It's way cheaper to just buy an NIB Winchester or Remington at Wal-Mart for $389 and sell off the stock and barrel. It's safer, too. And if ya want a .308 you can buy a short action, instead of trying to use the long Mauser action.
-- Wood stocks -- I love 'em. Yup, lotsa sources out there, depending on how much you want to spend. Wood SOMETIMES has problems with shifting point of aim due to humidity -- if you build the gun in dry conditions and then take it hunting in the rain, the humidity can make the wood "swell" and change the pressure on the barrel. However, if you glass-bed the action and completely free-float the barrel, all you have to watch is to make sure the wood doesn't swell and touch the barrel. If you put a good waterproof finish on the entire stock, INCLUDING the barrel channel, you'll prolly be OK.
A good budget would be $300 net for a new action (as above); another $300 for a quality Douglas or Shilen barrel, installed with a trigger job; $100-$200 for a new stock, depending on how much figure and how much work you'll do yourself; then the cost of a scope and scope mounts.
Hope this helps!