Jun 7–8, 2024 · Absarokee, MT · 📍 Main Street · State championship
Reps: Del Anderson, Forrest Bruce · Prize money: $9,200
Bushmaster BBQ won Grand Champion at the Montana BBQ Cookoff on June 7, 2024 in Absarokee, MT at Main Street, scoring 703.9772 in a field of 28 teams. American Heroes BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 700.5716. Category winners: Chicken — Dirty Little Pigs BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Bushmaster BBQ (177.1544); Pork — Bushmaster BBQ (177.1428); Brisket — Colorado Bulldawg BBQ (180.0000). This is the 2nd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2023 edition was won by Colorado Bulldawg BBQ; the next was held in 2025.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2023 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Pork Ribs places 3–4: American Heroes BBQ and BIG BOYZ BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER and Smoke On The Waters BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: 202 BBQ edged TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER by 0.0112.
Bushmaster BBQ won Pork Ribs, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
Bushmaster BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was brisket at 8th.
Colorado Bulldawg BBQ turned in 180.0000 in brisket — past the 177.7028 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Colorado Bulldawg BBQ (won 2023).
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 2023 | Absarokee, MT | Woodard Ave | 36 | 707.4400 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ |
| Jun 7, 2024 ← this one | Absarokee, MT | Main Street | 28 | 703.9772 | Bushmaster BBQ | American Heroes BBQ |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Absarokee, MT | Main Street | 33 | 691.3828 | Heifers, Butts, & Clucks BBQ | PAPA'S PIT CREW |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Absarokee, MT | Main Street | 29 | 691.9428 | Smellaque | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 174.8456 | 171.4288 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1544 | 174.2628 | 171.9656 |
| Pork | 177.1428 | 174.8572 | 169.6800 |
| Brisket | 180 | 174.8456 | 169.7028 |
28 entries · top 703.9772 · median 669.3200
28 entries · top 180 · median 167.7430 · 🔥 perfect 180
28 entries · top 177.1544 · median 166.5314
28 entries · top 177.1428 · median 164.8114
28 entries · top 180 · median 162.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
14 entries · top 180 · median 173.1200 · 🔥 perfect 180