BULLETS AND BUTTS

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#4003

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1483

peak 1500 · rated over 12 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-03

latest 2017-10-13

Best ToY finish

#1140

Master 2017

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 64%

overall standings

Best overall

673.6340 / 720

Master · Hog Wild West BBQ Contest

Perfect 180s

Current form

646.30 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 642.77 (+3.53)

Walk rate

50%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.5828

Pork · The Best Damn BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake

Consistency

±19.45

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 163.84 · weakest Brisket (156.73)

Road miles

386

mi across 12 mapped stops · furthest 48 mi

Schedule strength

38%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1550)

Master avg

642.77 / 720

12 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (5 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

High-water mark

673.6340 career-best overall

93.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 673.6340 at Hog Wild West BBQ Contest — 93.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
2017-09-08

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SINISTER SMOKE BBQ has finished one call ahead of BULLETS AND BUTTS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

6–0 behind in the head-to-head

Theslabs.com ahead in 100% of their meetings

Theslabs.com has come out ahead in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.1 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.11 points below their pork, and turns into a call 25% of the time against 25%.

Brisket avg 156.73
Pork avg 163.84
3 calls in 12 entries

Pork nemesis

6 of 6 shared pork entries lost

DIRT ROAD BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, DIRT ROAD BBQ has out-cooked them in 6 of 6 shared pork entries.

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

120 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

FATBOYSBBQ

#4008 of the rated field

1483 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1513

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1513 at their best, 31 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2021-07-17

⚔ Head-to-head

Disco Balls BBQ

#4005 of the rated field

1483 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1505

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2019-06-22

⚔ Head-to-head

LUCKY'S HAVE BBQ WILL TRAVEL

#4017 of the rated field

1482 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1520

No shared contest yet.

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 25% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2019-05-10

⚔ Head-to-head

Nobody

#4009 of the rated field

1483 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1504

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 5 years after BULLETS AND BUTTS did, first appearing in 2018.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2025-05-09

⚔ Head-to-head

WHITE DOG BBQ

#4000 of the rated field

1483 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1514

No shared contest yet.

Level with BULLETS AND BUTTS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2018-08-24

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN DOPES BBQ

#3993 of the rated field

1483 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1483

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2018-02-02

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Theslabs.com	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
DIRT ROAD BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Four Men and A Pig	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
VALLEY OAKS STEAK COMPANY	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	12	1	0	0	169.1428	152.5484	160.83	top 65%
Pork Ribs	12	4	1	1	176.0000	145.1428	161.38	top 56%
Pork	12	3	0	1	176.5828	155.9540	163.84	top 51%
Brisket	12	3	0	0	170.8688	136.4916	156.73	top 63%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By state / province

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
MO	8	0	top 72%
KS	4	0	top 46%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 75%
Medium (20–39)	5	top 58%
Large (40+)	6	top 67%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q	2	20	0	top 63%	2017-05-05

The story so far (14 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 4.4 yrs 2013-05-03 → 2017-10-13

Busiest season 2017 4 contests

Contests a season 2.4 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MO 8 of 12 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 11 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 12 entries · 0 wins · 1 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 163.84 · weakest Brisket (156.73)

Walk rate 50% a top-10 call in 6 of 12 contests

Overall top-10 rate 8% 1 of 12 contests

Master average 642.77 out of 720 · 12 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 344 169–298 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 386 12 mapped stops · furthest 48 mi

Schedule strength 1550 average field rating faced — tougher than 38% of rated contests

Power rating 1483 peak 1500 · #4003 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

2013
May 3 First tracked contest Apple Blossom Barbecue Contest
2014
May 9 First call Sertoma 48 BBQ
May 9 First overall past 90% of a perfect score665.1540 Sertoma 48 BBQ
Jun 6 Peak power rating (1500) Smokin n a Rollin
2017
Apr 7 Career-best single call (Pork)176.5828 The Best Damn BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake
May 5 10th tracked contest Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q
Sep 8 First category win (Pork Ribs) Hog Wild West BBQ Contest
Sep 8 First overall top-10 Hog Wild West BBQ Contest
Sep 8 Career-best overall score673.6340 Hog Wild West BBQ Contest
Oct 13 Most recent contest 14th Annual Cookin on the Kaw

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+10.4	Sertoma 48 BBQ	2014-05-09
+9.1	Hog Wild West BBQ Contest	2017-09-08
+2.4	Smokin n a Rollin	2014-06-06
+1.1	14th Annual Cookin on the Kaw	2017-10-13
+0.7	Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q	2017-05-05

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.8	Apple Blossom Barbecue Contest	2013-05-03
-8.1	20th Annual Platte City BBQ Cook-Off	2015-05-15
-8	21st Annual Platte City BBQ Cook-off At Basswood Resort	2016-05-13
-6.4	The Best Damn BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake	2017-04-07
-5.1	Oak Grove BBQ & Lemonade Festival	2015-09-25

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2017	4	1	1	50%	top 60%	93.6%	90.7%
2016	2	0	0	50%	top 74%	90.5%	88.2%
2015	2	0	0	50%	top 78%	89.9%	89.1%
2014	2	0	0	100%	top 37%	92.4%	91%
2013	2	0	0	0%	top 72%	87%	85.9%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017-10-13	14th Annual Cookin on the Kaw Desoto, KS	35 / 55 (667.3940)	38 (167.4056)	29 (166.8800)	16 (171.9656)	44 (161.1428)
2017-09-08	Hog Wild West BBQ Contest Leavenworth, KS	8 / 25 (673.6340)	7 (169.1428)	1 (176.0000)	6 (168.5600)	15 (159.9312)
2017-05-05	Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q St. Joseph, MO	24 / 39 (649.0280)	31 (154.2512)	19 (164.5828)	23 (162.7884)	11 (167.4056)
2017-04-07	The Best Damn BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake Smithville, MO	45 / 54 (623.2800)	53 (152.5484)	50 (153.1088)	3 (176.5828)	51 (141.0400)
2016-05-13	21st Annual Platte City BBQ Cook-off At Basswood Resort Platte City, MO	43 / 51 (618.1600)	30 (163.4172)	27 (162.2972)	41 (155.9540)	50 (136.4916)
2016-05-06	Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q St. Joseph, MO	20 / 31 (651.4060)	18 (164.5372)	4 (174.3200)	22 (161.7372)	26 (150.8116)
2015-09-25	Oak Grove BBQ & Lemonade Festival Oak Grove, MO	12 / 16 (647.2796)	14 (157.0856)	10 (158.2628)	10 (165.1200)	8 (166.8112)
2015-05-15	20th Annual Platte City BBQ Cook-Off Platte City, MO	41 / 51 (635.2572)	41 (158.2400)	42 (157.0744)	21 (165.6684)	38 (154.2744)
2014-06-06	Smokin n a Rollin St. Joseph, MO	11 / 22 (645.6916)	12 (157.1084)	14 (158.2744)	15 (159.4400)	5 (170.8688)
2014-05-09	Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS	13 / 54 (665.1540)	12 (169.1084)	8 (169.1772)	41 (156.5712)	8 (170.2972)
2013-10-11	Cookin' on the Kaw DeSoto, KS	27 / 42 (626.1252)	29 (158.2628)	36 (151.3828)	18 (162.2284)	29 (154.2512)
2013-05-03	Apple Blossom Barbecue Contest St. Joseph, MO	31 / 39 (610.8570)	29 (158.8572)	37 (145.1428)	22 (159.4286)	31 (147.4284)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017 ↗	Master	#1140 (265 pts)	#1189 (275 pts)	#962 (395 pts)	#795 (505 pts)	#1349 (220 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1667 (141 pts)	#1714 (151 pts)	#1221 (266 pts)	#1815 (131 pts)	#2004 (116 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1907 (106 pts)	#2014 (96 pts)	#1891 (116 pts)	#1918 (116 pts)	#1672 (136 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1161 (252 pts)	#1248 (252 pts)	#1170 (272 pts)	#1574 (172 pts)	#971 (342 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1664 (131 pts)	#1729 (131 pts)	#1738 (131 pts)	#1413 (181 pts)	#1694 (131 pts)