Got the stainless bolts out, here's the one that yielded:
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Re-installed the old bolts, torqued them down which felt ENTIRELY different from the experience with the stainless bolts
Remember the difference you felt. You can develop a feel for the yielding so that you can stop and make whatever correction to the situation needed to prevent screwing them all up. Basically, when you tighten a fastener, you should feel the torque steadily increase as you turn the wrench. If that increase slows down - stop. You're yielding. If it plateaus, or starts to decrease, it's too late. You are well into yielding, and the screw is ruined.
Of course, there are other unique situations that can give the same feeling, but you're not yielding. One that comes to mind is a stack of washers piled up because a bolt is too long. As you tighten up the joint, all the space between each washer has to close, so you can feel like you're yielding, but you're just taking up that space. In that case, often times the washer is also dished from the punching process, so you're also flattening them while closing those gaps.