Thanks for your inputs everyone.
The rifle is a LMT MWS in .308 and yes I have cleaned the rings etc. before torquing with a Borka. Yes, short of sending the borka off to a cal lab... but at the mount maker's suggestion I took the torque scary high before I flinched.
Rosin is a good suggestion. Thanks! I will get some.
Yes it can always be user error, won't argue it, but did my homework and all to include interacting with the manufacturers who were very helpful. All that and am now doing my homework by picking the group mind.
Why haven't I named names? I really don't want to be the precipitator of a fan boy war, especially since both outfits have been good to me.
Yes i was kidding about epoxy, but I must relate that the first time I ever heard of scopes being epoxied into the rings was when I was looking at a Steyr SSG 69 / Hensoldt combo back in the 80s. Nice rifle, should have bought it but the epoxy aspect made me shy away.