Dave Tatoian

MEET THE TEAM

Dave Tatoian

USPSA Grand Master in Carry Optics and Limited Optics

Gun: Blazer 124-grain ammunition is his usual factory option

Dave Tatoian entered competitive shooting through the tactical and defensive side of handgun training. Once he was introduced to competition, he recognized it as both an exciting sport and an effective way to build practical handgun skills. He began taking his development more seriously, adding structured dry-fire and live-fire work to his routine and steadily raising his expectations.

Like many accomplished competitors, Dave remembers his first match as a humbling experience. He arrived believing he was already a capable shooter, but competing against experienced athletes revealed a much larger skill gap than he expected. That realization appealed to Dave’s competitive nature. He saw that he was not yet good at the sport—but also recognized that he had the potential to become very good if he committed to the work.

Dave’s development has largely been self-directed. Through trial and error, online instruction, and careful testing during his own practice, he has drawn ideas from competitors such as Ben Stoeger, Eric Grauffel, Joey Sauerland, and David Wampler. He does not adopt a technique simply because someone else recommends it; he brings it into training, evaluates the results, and keeps what genuinely improves his performance.

Dave currently concentrates on United States Practical Shooting Association competition. USPSA has been his sole competitive discipline so far, although he is interested in exploring two-gun competition in the future. His proudest competitive achievement is winning Area 8, a major victory that required substantial time, training, and preparation. His résumé also includes a runner-up finish at the New Hampshire State Championship, third place at Western Pennsylvania, and victories at both the Delmarva and Maryland State championships.

Consistency anchors Dave’s training. He tries to handle the pistol every day, dry-fires three to four days per week, and live-fires three to four days per week whenever possible—even when a session consists of only about 100 rounds. His mental approach is equally disciplined: verify that the necessary skills are in place, trust them during the match, and refuse to become distracted by other competitors or circumstances outside his control.

Dave competes with a Walther PDP Steel Frame pistol. He handloads most of his competition ammunition and does not claim a single preferred commercial brand, although Blazer 124-grain ammunition is his usual factory option. His preferred eye protection is Hunters HD Gold shooting eyewear.

Within Double Tap, Dave especially values the opportunity to teach newer shooters, travel to matches, and compete alongside a dependable core group that can often field its own squad. Away from the range, his main interests are hunting and fishing.

Dave encourages prospective competitors to stop worrying about their current ability or equipment and simply attend a match. The competitive-shooting community wants newcomers to succeed, and experienced shooters will often help with equipment when necessary. In Dave’s view, progress begins with mastering the fundamentals—and with being willing to take that first step.