Montana BBQ Cookoff
2025-06-13 – 2025-06-14 · Absarokee, MT · 📍 Main Street · State championship
Reps: DEL ANDERSON, FORREST BRUCE · Prize money: $10,375.00
Grand Champion: Heifers, Butts, & Clucks BBQ (691.3828) · 33 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 PAPA'S PIT CREW
Entries
33
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
691.3828
Winning margin
6.8800
GC over RC
Field average
643.87
median 667.30
Tightest race
Chicken
3.4400 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
678.7540
10th place overall
Field spread
457.7028
winner to last place
Prize money
$10,375.00
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 82%
beats 18% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
67%
of the 33 teams with a home region came from outside MT
Came back for more
43%
12 of 28 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.63 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1563
avg power rating going in · stronger than 68% of contests
Storylines
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
Heifers, Butts, & Clucks BBQ took the Grand Championship home to CO.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 3–4: MACHETE BOYS BBQ and TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: OWENS BBQ and HEIFERS, BUTTS, & CLUCKS BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: Smoke On The Waters and At Ease BBQ tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
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)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-06-09 | Absarokee, MT | Woodard Ave | 36 | 707.4400 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ |
| 2024-06-07 | Absarokee, MT | Main Street | 28 | 703.9772 | Bushmaster BBQ | American Heroes BBQ |
| 2025-06-13 ← this one | Absarokee, MT | Main Street | 33 | 691.3828 | Heifers, Butts, & Clucks BBQ | PAPA'S PIT CREW |
| 2026-06-12 | Absarokee, MT | Main Street | 29 | 691.9428 | Smellaque | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180.0000 | 176.5600 | 174.2856 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.2972 | 172.0232 | 168.5256 |
| Pork | 180.0000 | 174.2628 | 169.1200 |
| Brisket | 177.7372 | 174.2628 | 171.4172 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
33 entries · top 691.3828 · median 667.3028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HEIFERS, BUTTS, & CLUCKS BBQ | |
| 2 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 3 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 4 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 5 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 6 | At Ease BBQ | |
| 7 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 8 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 10 | BURNT TREES BBQ | |
| 11 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 12 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 14 | Smoke On The Waters | |
| 15 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 16 | Monarchbbq | |
| 17 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 18 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 19 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 20 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 21 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 22 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 23 | Moist Meats | |
| 24 | Whistle Pig BBQ | |
| 25 | ROCKET BOYS PYRO BBQ | |
| 26 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 27 | Big Pig | |
| 28 | Smokin' Hot Montana | |
| 29 | Grills Gone Wild | |
| 30 | H & H BBQ | |
| 31 | Montana Kick A$$ BBQ | |
| 32 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 33 | My Meat In Your Mouth |
Chicken
32 entries · top 180.0000 · median 169.1200 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 2 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 3 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 4 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 5 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 6 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 7 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 8 | HEIFERS, BUTTS, & CLUCKS BBQ | |
| 9 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 10 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 11 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 12 | At Ease BBQ | |
| 13 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 14 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 15 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 16 | Smoke On The Waters | |
| 17 | Whistle Pig BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 19 | ROCKET BOYS PYRO BBQ | |
| 20 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 21 | BURNT TREES BBQ | |
| 22 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 23 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 24 | Montana Kick A$$ BBQ | |
| 25 | Big Pig | |
| 26 | Monarchbbq | |
| 27 | Grills Gone Wild | |
| 28 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 29 | H & H BBQ | |
| 30 | Moist Meats | |
| 31 | Smokin' Hot Montana | |
| 32 | Absarokee Fire Department |
Pork Ribs
32 entries · top 178.2972 · median 160.8056
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HEIFERS, BUTTS, & CLUCKS BBQ | |
| 2 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 3 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 4 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 5 | At Ease BBQ | |
| 6 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 7 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 8 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 9 | Smokin' Hot Montana | |
| 10 | Monarchbbq | |
| 11 | Moist Meats | |
| 12 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 13 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 14 | BURNT TREES BBQ | |
| 15 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 16 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 17 | Smoke On The Waters | |
| 18 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 19 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 20 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 21 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 22 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 23 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 24 | Whistle Pig BBQ | |
| 25 | Big Pig | |
| 26 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 27 | ROCKET BOYS PYRO BBQ | |
| 28 | H & H BBQ | |
| 29 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 30 | Montana Kick A$$ BBQ | |
| 31 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 32 | Grills Gone Wild |
Pork
33 entries · top 180.0000 · median 163.9428 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 2 | BURNT TREES BBQ | |
| 3 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 4 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 5 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 6 | Smoke On The Waters | |
| 7 | At Ease BBQ | |
| 8 | Monarchbbq | |
| 9 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 10 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 12 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 13 | Moist Meats | |
| 14 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 15 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 16 | HEIFERS, BUTTS, & CLUCKS BBQ | |
| 17 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 18 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 19 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 20 | Grills Gone Wild | |
| 21 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 22 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 23 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 24 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 25 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 26 | Big Pig | |
| 27 | ROCKET BOYS PYRO BBQ | |
| 28 | Smokin' Hot Montana | |
| 29 | Whistle Pig BBQ | |
| 30 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 31 | H & H BBQ | |
| 32 | Montana Kick A$$ BBQ | |
| 33 | My Meat In Your Mouth |
Brisket
33 entries · top 177.7372 · median 166.2400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 2 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 3 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 4 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 5 | BURNT TREES BBQ | |
| 6 | HEIFERS, BUTTS, & CLUCKS BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 8 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 9 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 10 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 11 | Monarchbbq | |
| 12 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 13 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 14 | Smoke On The Waters | |
| 15 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 17 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 18 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 19 | At Ease BBQ | |
| 20 | Whistle Pig BBQ | |
| 21 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 22 | ROCKET BOYS PYRO BBQ | |
| 23 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 24 | Big Pig | |
| 25 | Moist Meats | |
| 26 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 27 | H & H BBQ | |
| 28 | Grills Gone Wild | |
| 29 | Smokin' Hot Montana | |
| 30 | Montana Kick A$$ BBQ | |
| 31 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 32 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 33 | My Meat In Your Mouth |
Ancillary categories
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
Ancillary — Any Thing Goes
17 entries · top 177.7028 · median 173.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Pig | |
| 2 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 3 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 4 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 5 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 6 | Smokin' Hot Montana | |
| 7 | H & H BBQ | |
| 8 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 9 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 10 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 11 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 12 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 13 | Montana Kick A$$ BBQ | |
| 14 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 15 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 16 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 17 | BIG BOYZ BBQ |