The best way to see if a player is ''tactical''(aggressive) is to look at the opening they start with. If they play the Caro-Kann or Stonewall Dutch, for example, then they are likely not too aggressive. If they play the Grob Attack, the King's Gambit, or Sicilian Dragon, then it is quite likely that they are aggressive(although they might also be playing those openings because they know a lot of theory on them).
I say "aggressive" and not "tactical" because a tactical player simply means someone who is good at spotting mistakes, and the 1200-1400 guys you are talking about will ruin their own position just to try and get you to make a mistake. Don't panic, don't leave your King by itself, and get a strong center, and you will find that they will usually have no idea what to do.
"...the tactical player tends to enjoy open tactical messes and sometimes King hunts."
You do understand that tactics flow from a superior position? And how do you get a superior position?
By playing good sound strategy...aka...Positional chess.
Do you not think that "positional" players go after the king also?
Of course! This alludes to what I noted earlier (IF the options were "equal") A forced mate via King hunt for example should be pursued regardless of play preference. Furthermore, "You do understand that tactics flow from a superior position?" Yes, I know Bobby Fischer's words well. In fact, I am currently reading "My Memorable 60 Games".