On real dead trees, sometimes taking half the tree can put quite a side load on the tree, while climbing higher and taking smaller pieces would be safer.
Everyone has their own comfort level. Climb within yours.
I am confident I can do the job safely, I am only asking because a ex-coworker was telling me he though it was too risky. I brought the question to this forum to seek an out additional thoughts. There are not many other people I know who work in this industry that I can chat with.