Shootin' Smoke

Shootin' Smoke is a competition barbecue team with 27 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2021. They have won 2 Grand Championships, most recently at the Missouri's North Star BBQ Championship (2014). They are ranked #1171 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “SHOOTIN SMOKE”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,171

of 6,477 rated · rankings

Rating

1589

peak 1606 · rated over 25 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Feb 22, 2013

latest Jun 25, 2021 · 8.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#253

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 7% of the time

Category wins

10 podiums

Overall top-10s

33% of 27 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 38%

overall standings

Best overall

684.5484 / 720

Master · Missouri's North Star BBQ Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

663.57

last 5 Master vs avg 663.42 (+0.15)

Walk rate

63%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Chicken · Hermann Bar-BQ and Brats Festival

Consistency

±13.36

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.96 · weakest Pork Ribs (164.42)

Road miles

3,717

across 27 mapped stops · furthest 836 mi

Schedule strength

27%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1537)

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

663.42 / 720

27 Master contests · 2 GCs

Storylines (15 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

Against the odds

20-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 80 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Missouri's North Star BBQ Championship (Aug 15, 2014) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 20-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE.

A multi-meat day

1 contest with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at Missouri's North Star BBQ Championship (Aug 15, 2014).

Chicken 1st
Brisket 1st

They almost always walk

63% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 17 of 27 contests

A top-10 category call in 63% of their 27 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

684.5484 career-best overall

95.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 684.5484 at Missouri's North Star BBQ Championship — 95.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
Aug 15, 2014

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BRICKHEAD BBQ has finished one call ahead of Shootin' Smoke 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2014 1 Grand Championship

2014 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 4 category wins, at an average finish in the top 24%.

6 contests
3 overall top-10s
4 category wins
average top 24%

A tough matchup

15–4 behind in the head-to-head

SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ ahead in 79% of their meetings

SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ has come out ahead in 15 of their 19 shared contests.

Show 8 more storylines

The drought

11 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Missouri's North Star BBQ Championship on Aug 15, 2014 — 11 contests and 12.1 years ago.

last GC Aug 15, 2014
12.1 years ago

A strong matchup

7–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 88% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of B-BOYZ BBQ in 7 of their 8 shared contests.

The comeback

4.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 4.2 years, then back at Miles City Cowtown Cook Off (Jun 25, 2021).

last seen Apr 21, 2017
back Jun 25, 2021

Chicken nemesis

12 of 19 shared chicken entries lost

SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ ahead 63% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ has out-cooked them in 12 of 19 shared chicken entries.

A May team

Top 21% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 21% across 5 contests, versus top 38% the rest of the year.

5 May contests
top 38% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,717 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,717 miles across 27 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 836 miles to Miles City Cowtown Cook Off.

27 mapped stops
furthest 836 mi

The metronome

±1.86% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.86% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.1% of a perfect score
27 contests

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest every year from 2013 to 2016 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 1st

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2016 ↗	Master	#822 (435 pts)	#723 (555 pts)	#891 (430 pts)	#835 (470 pts)	#782 (485 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1676 (120 pts)	#1341 (215 pts)	#1776 (120 pts)	#1427 (205 pts)	#1763 (120 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1555 (157 pts)	#1139 (287 pts)	#2134 (82 pts)	#2137 (82 pts)	#1827 (132 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#253 (1,190 pts)	#199 (1,290 pts)	#253 (1,145 pts)	#273 (1,050 pts)	#254 (1,150 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Shootin' Smoke, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Smoking OCD

#1,170 of the rated field

1589 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1589

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 23 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Dec 6, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

GOOD OLD BBQ

#1,166 of the rated field

1589 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 48%
Peak: 1594

Careers of much the same size, 25 contests to 27, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 22 contests
last seen Oct 25, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

ETOWAH SMOKE

#1,168 of the rated field

1589 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 52%
Peak: 1596

31 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 52% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 31 contests
last seen Nov 15, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

BROTHER OF SWEET SMOKE Q

#1,167 of the rated field

1589 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1593

Level with Shootin' Smoke on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

WOODPILE BBQ SHACK

#1,169 of the rated field

1589 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1596

Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 6 years before Shootin' Smoke's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 20 contests

⚔ Compare careers

The King and His Q

#1,175 of the rated field

1588 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 70%
Peak: 1597

They turned up 6 years after Shootin' Smoke did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 17 contests
last seen May 24, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ	19	4	15	21%	⚔ compare
POLITICAL PORK	16	9	7	56%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN O BBQ	15	6	9	40%	⚔ compare
ST. LOUIS BLACK IRON BBQ	15	6	9	40%	⚔ compare
BLAZIN' BLUES BBQ	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
UNCLE BUB'S BBQ, LLC	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
SMOKE THIS BBQ MO	13	6	7	46%	⚔ compare
PITMASTERIQ BBQ	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
OKLAHOMA JOE'S SERIOUS QUE	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' BUTTS	10	6	4	60%	⚔ compare
SPICEWINE IRONWORKS	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
BURNT FINGER BBQ	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	27	8	4	5	178.8572	156.5714	167.96	top 40%
Pork Ribs	27	8	0	2	174.8570	151.4060	164.42	top 47%
Pork	27	8	0	1	176.5828	154.2854	164.57	top 48%
Brisket	27	8	2	2	178.2972	147.3600	166.46	top 38%

“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 field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	1	top 28%
Medium (20–39)	10	1	top 35%
Large (40+)	15	0	top 41%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
MO	24	2	top 36%
MT	1	0	top 76%
KS	1	0	top 32%
AR	1	0	top 50%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest	4	1	1	top 23%	May 6, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 12 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 4.5 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MO 24 of 27 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 24 1 of them more than once

First title May 3, 2013 Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest

Opponents faced 1,352 finished ahead 1,767 times, behind 1,163

Longest layoff 4.2 yrs Apr 21, 2017 → Jun 25, 2021

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

20211 milestone

Jun 25 Most recent contest Miles City Cowtown Cook Off

20162 milestones

May 6 Peak power rating (1606) Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest
Jul 22 25th tracked contest Smoking in the Woods

20143 milestones

Aug 15 First multi-meat day Missouri's North Star BBQ Championship
Aug 15 Career-best overall score684.5484 Missouri's North Star BBQ Championship
Sep 26 Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 Hermann Bar-BQ and Brats Festival

20138 milestones

Feb 22 First tracked contest Polar Bear Challenge
Feb 22 First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.2854 Polar Bear Challenge
Apr 5 First call Smokin' On Big Creek
May 3 First category win (Chicken) Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest
May 3 First overall top-10 Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest
May 3 First overall podium Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest
May 3 First Grand Championship Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest
Oct 3 10th tracked contest 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.5	Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest	May 3, 2013
+13.9	Missouri's North Star BBQ Championship	Aug 15, 2014
+13.7	Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest	May 2, 2014
+11.4	Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest	Apr 15, 2016
+11.3	Lake of the Ozarks Blues & BBQ Weekend	May 17, 2013

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.3	Miles City Cowtown Cook Off	Jun 25, 2021
-7.8	Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest	Apr 21, 2017
-6	6th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff	Jul 12, 2013
-4.5	BBQ and Fly In on the River	Aug 16, 2013
-2.7	Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest	May 1, 2015

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

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

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2021	1	0	0	0	0%	top 76%	89.8%	89.8%
2017	1	0	0	0	0%	top 70%	90.5%	90.5%
2016	3	0	3	1	100%	top 30%	94.1%	93.5%
2015	4	0	0	0	100%	top 47%	94.8%	92%
2014	6	1	3	4	50%	top 24%	95.1%	93.3%
2013	12	1	3	1	58%	top 39%	94.8%	91.6%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 25, 2021	Miles City Cowtown Cook Off 🏅 Miles City, MT	19 / 25 (646.3312)	19 (167.4400)	20 (161.1428)	22 (154.8684)	18 (162.8800)
Apr 21, 2017	Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest Washington, MO	28 / 40 (651.8052)	30 (160.5484)	24 (163.9544)	32 (157.6340)	14 (169.6684)
Jul 22, 2016	Smoking in the Woods Kingdom City, MO	9 / 18 (666.7544)	6 (169.6800)	3 (170.8344)	17 (155.3944)	5 (170.8456)
May 6, 2016	Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest Columbia, MO	8 / 32 (675.2796)	14 (168.5256)	8 (169.6800)	11 (170.8228)	8 (166.2512)
Apr 15, 2016	Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO	8 / 53 (677.6804)	1 (177.7372)	47 (151.4060)	2 (174.2744)	7 (174.2628)
Oct 3, 2015	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	323 / 606 (650.2400)	8 (177.1772)	472 (155.3828)	488 (154.8000)	281 (162.8800)
Oct 2, 2015	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	55 / 187 (682.2740)	59 (172.0228)	104 (167.4056)	9 (176.5828)	125 (166.2628)
Jun 5, 2015	Hott Butts BBQ Contest Boonville, MO	16 / 32 (659.3484)	23 (160.5256)	9 (168)	12 (170.8228)	20 (160)
May 1, 2015	Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest Columbia, MO	20 / 37 (658.1140)	24 (163.9312)	29 (156.5144)	10 (170.8456)	16 (166.8228)
Oct 2, 2014	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	149 / 552 (668.4684)	311 (163.9428)	57 (173.7028)	398 (158.8228)	67 (172)
Sep 26, 2014	Hermann Bar-BQ and Brats Festival Hermann, MO	8 / 37 (677.0396)	1 (178.8572)	21 (165.6800)	21 (163.9540)	11 (168.5484)
Aug 15, 2014	Missouri's North Star BBQ Championship Kirksville, MO	1 / 16 (684.5484)	1 (176.5600)	6 (165.7028)	4 (165.7028)	1 (176.5828)
Jul 11, 2014	7th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff Wellsville, MO	16 / 41 (664.4228)	17 (170.8456)	15 (168.5372)	33 (156.5144)	15 (168.5256)
May 2, 2014	Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest Columbia, MO	3 / 35 (680.5372)	30 (161.1200)	12 (168)	5 (173.1200)	1 (178.2972)
Apr 4, 2014	Smokin On Big Creek - Benefiting Operation BBQ Relief Pleasant Hill, MO	30 / 75 (655.8860)	34 (165.7028)	46 (159.3828)	47 (162.2516)	17 (168.5488)
Oct 11, 2013	Anchor City Cook Off Centralia, MO	13 / 29 (661.6456)	14 (165.7144)	14 (163.9772)	14 (165.6912)	8 (166.2628)
Oct 3, 2013	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	131 / 174 (646.1144)	52 (169.6800)	159 (153.0972)	63 (167.9772)	148 (155.3600)
Oct 3, 2013	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	197 / 535 (647.3484)	296 (159.9656)	42 (171.4172)	225 (162.2856)	346 (153.6800)
Sep 27, 2013	Hermann BBQ & Brats Festival Hermann, MO	8 / 39 (666.2056)	16 (166.8228)	5 (170.8344)	32 (155.9884)	4 (172.5600)
Aug 16, 2013	BBQ and Fly In on the River Excelsior Springs, MO	42 / 66 (633.5656)	38 (161.1200)	27 (163.4172)	45 (161.6684)	61 (147.3600)
Jul 12, 2013	6th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff Wellsville, MO	28 / 42 (651.8168)	28 (163.4056)	36 (156.5028)	24 (163.3828)	12 (168.5256)
Jun 7, 2013	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	22 / 69 (660.5710)	50 (156.5714)	33 (164.5710)	7 (170.8572)	13 (168.5714)
May 17, 2013	Lake of the Ozarks Blues & BBQ Weekend Lake of the Ozarks, MO	6 / 41 (680.5710)	6 (172)	2 (174.8570)	12 (168.5714)	18 (165.1426)
May 3, 2013	Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest Columbia, MO	1 / 25 (682.8572)	1 (174.2858)	8 (168)	4 (169.1428)	6 (171.4286)
Apr 26, 2013	Smokin' in the Ozarks Rogers, AR	17 / 34 (651.4278)	12 (167.4286)	25 (156.5712)	9 (168.5712)	21 (158.8568)
Apr 5, 2013	Smokin' On Big Creek Pleasant Hill, MO	14 / 74 (669.1426)	2 (175.4286)	9 (170.8574)	66 (154.2854)	20 (168.5712)
Feb 22, 2013	Polar Bear Challenge Columbia, MO	18 / 46 (662.2854)	13 (168)	32 (159.9998)	13 (168.5714)	23 (165.7142)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

Shootin' Smoke

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (15 found in their record)

Against the odds

A multi-meat day

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The drought

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

A May team

The long haul

The metronome

A standing appointment

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

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

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

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

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

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