I am always surprised when I hear people say that Open Carry isn't tactical. It would seem to me that deterrence is a very legitimate tactic. As Reagan said, "Peace Through Strength". Perhaps some may quibble that deterrence is more of a strategy than a tactic. That strikes me as playing word games.
Certainly if deterrence fails, it can be a tactical advantage to have been underestimated by th BG and be able to surprise the aggressor.
The major "dis-advantage" to OC is that you never know when it worked. BG's simply don't walk up and say, "Hey, I was going to put a cap in your ass, but then I saw that Glock on your hip. How do you like it?"
This same issue comes up in other contexts. For example, do NRA stickers on home windows discourage or encourage BNE's?
I would prefer to deter a potential attack and OC is legal in Virginia, but in Northern Virginia, it is certainly not common. I am unsure whether it is worth the social cost of dealing with gun hysterics. If more of you Northern Virginians would start OCing I would appreciate it. I'm more of a band-wagonner than a trail-blazer.
But back to OP question. If i were to OC, I'd carry strong hip OWB at about an FBI cant.