Bruce M pretty much nailed it. Speer 8 has some pretty steamy loads, but you don't need to start at the top. I have used some of those loads, and they are warm, to be sure, but they ARE listed as max, after all. I am in agreement that the modern manuals are written by lawyers, but the end result of your handloading excursion is that YOU are responsible for your safety.

Work slowly and carefully. Do you really need Mach4 loads for poking a hole in a piece of paper?