>>96223885
>Can regular axes and spears stand shoulder to shoulder with TL8 guns?
No, guns are always the great equalizer in a fight.

>Is there a quick and dirty template you can apply to melee weapons to bring them up to TL8 standards? Or am I just overthinking this?
The other way around, there are rules to make guns less deadly so there is some balance in games with melee. Pyramid 3-44 Survivable Guns