Adam,
I haven't used Talley mounts so am unsure if each ring and base has the slot or only one.

If only one base has the slot the ring should be hard against the front of the slot.

If both bases have slots like with Ruger scope rings, I like to set the front ring against the front of the slot and the rear ring against the rear of it's slot.

Scope rings are subject to forces in both directions, forward and back, from recoil therefore ring base combinations which have a recoil stop for both directions are best.
This is even more important when dealing with QD mount systems which are secured by finger tightened levers.