A new contest record
713.1544
highest overall ever cooked here
713.1544 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 711.4172 Montana Outlaw BBQ set in 2021.
- old record 711.4172
- set 2021 by Montana Outlaw BBQ
Montana Pitmaster Classic 2024
Aug 23–24, 2024 · Bozeman, MT · 📍 1243 Oak Street · State championship
Reps: Brian Moore, Steven Flewallen · Prize money: $13,000
PIGGIN' WHISKEY won Grand Champion at the Montana Pitmaster Classic on August 23, 2024 in Bozeman, MT at 1243 Oak Street, scoring 713.1544 in a field of 39 teams. BURNT TREES BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 705.1200. Category winners: Chicken — Low Eye Que (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Willy Mo's (179.4400); Pork — Kreiser Barbecue (179.4400); Brisket — PIGGIN' WHISKEY (180.0000). This is the 7th of 9 editions of this contest on record; the 2023 edition was won by Bushmaster BBQ; the next was held in 2025.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
502.80
median 674.18
713.15 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 179.44
- Pork 179.44
- Brisket 180 🔥
151.97
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2017 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
39
4 judged meats
Top score
713.1544
Winning margin
8.0344
GC over RC
Field average
668.80
502.80713.15
median 674.18 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.2856 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
689.6572
502.80713.15
10th place overall
Field spread
210.3544
winner to last place
Prize money
$13,000
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 1%
beats 99% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
55%
24 of 44 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.74 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,545
avg power rating going in · stronger than 34% of contests
Storylines (7 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
A dynasty in the making
4×
wins at this contest
4 of 9 tracked editions
MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ has won this contest 4 times across its 9 tracked editions.
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2021
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 5–6: BURNT TREES BBQ and Willy Mo's tied on 176.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: Rhythm 'n QUE and 202 BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 2–3: Shane Edd's BBQ and BURNT TREES BBQ tied on 178.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
PIGGIN' WHISKEY took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 4th.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in brisket
180.0000
best brisket ever cooked here
PIGGIN' WHISKEY turned in 180.0000 in brisket — past the 178.2972 that had stood across 6 earlier editions.
- old best 178.2972
- across 6 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ (won 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021).
- MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ · 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
A perfect score on the table
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- PIGGIN' WHISKEY · Brisket
- Low Eye Que · Chicken
This contest's own records (1 in the KCBS record book)
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 2017 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak St | 20 | 681.6684 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | BEER BELLY BBQ |
| Aug 24, 2018 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak St | 26 | 698.2740 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | GRATE EXPECTATIONS |
| Aug 23, 2019 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak St | 29 | 691.9888 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | CAMP HOUSE BBQ |
| Aug 27, 2021 | Bozeman, MT | Bozeman, MT 59717 | 31 | 711.4172 | Montana Outlaw BBQ | BEER BELLY BBQ |
| Aug 26, 2022 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak Street | 37 | 706.8688 | BEER BELLY BBQ | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ |
| Aug 25, 2023 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak Street | 44 | 705.2116 | Bushmaster BBQ | SMELLAQUE |
| Aug 23, 2024 ← this one | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak Street | 39 | 713.1544 | Piggin' Whiskey | BURNT TREES BBQ |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak Street | 38 | 704.5600 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | Mountain Smoke BBQ |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak Street | 39 | 706.8460 | Cocamoke Smoke BBQ | SmellaQue |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 176 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 177.1544 | 176 |
| Pork | 179.4400 | 176.0228 | 172.5828 |
| Brisket | 180 | 176.5600 | 174.2628 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
39 entries · top 713.1544 · median 674.1828
Chicken
39 entries · top 180 · median 169.1316 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
38 entries · top 179.4400 · median 170.5772
Pork
39 entries · top 179.4400 · median 169.6800
Brisket
39 entries · top 180 · median 167.3944 · 🔥 perfect 180