I second a scope from either Millet or SWFA. I own a Millet Gold Buck 3-9x Duplex that I had on a Remington 700 SPS Tactical, then went to a Mini 14 and now sits idle. It's pretty clear, and cost about $100. Up from that is the Millet TRS-1 which now sits on the Remington. It cost me about $300, and is extremely clear. Before I put the Millet on it, I had a Wal-Mart Centerpoint 4-16x scope, and that honestly worked very well. It wasn't too cloudy until you got into 14-16x, but I don't usually go that high.
I have also used the SWFA SS 10x42 fixed scope on an M1A, and I think this is the perfect combination. It's extremely bright and clear, with a nice reticle. You can get them with scope caps and rings for $300 now. Link Removed