I'm not sure what difference it would make which scale you used. As an x-infantryman who lived with a map in my hand for 27 years, I find using the UTM grid system beneficial. the UTM (Universal Transmercator system) divides the map sheet up into 1000 meter (1 Kilometer) square grids. 1Km equals roughly 5/8s of a mile. 1000 meters equals roughly 1100 yards.

Most topo maps have the UTM grid ticks around the margin of the map. In most cases all you need to do is get a yard stick and draw in the lines. This aids greatly in determining distance, etc. If you use a GPS system, set it to read out in UTM coordinates. This will provide you with probably a 10 or 12 digit number. I won't go into all the associated detail here on how to read the digits on the map, but I much prefer having the GPS set to read UTM coordinates as opposed to LAT/LONG. I'm much more used to this system (UTM).

If you are not familiar with basic map reading skills, recommend finding a book on it. As Lee said above, there is a wealth of information in the margin of a topo map. Getting a compass and learning how to use it is also very important.
Regards.