Can anyone help me decide what sort of optics to buy?

I need help picking out either a good pair of binoculors or a good scope for my Ruger, Mini-14, which already has a pickitinny rail installed. I need the binoculars strong enough to make out details at ABOUT a mile, If you recommend a scope instead of binoculors, it should be effective out to about 500 yards. I wish I could say that price is no object, but I have a limit up to about $350, or perhaps a bit more.