On the rise
+62
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 62 points across 17 contests since Oct 3, 2025 — from 1462 up to 1523.
- 17 contests since Oct 3, 2025
- now 1523
Bucknutz BBQ
Bucknutz BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 51 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2021 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 37 at the Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1) (2026). They are ranked #2401 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1523
peak 1523 · rated over 49 contests
Contests
51
in the data
First seen
Sep 24, 2021
latest Oct 2, 2026 · 5 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
3
7 podiums
Overall top-10s
3
6% of 51 contests
Avg finish
top 65%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
684.59 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 667.46 (+17.14)
Walk rate
59%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±19.03
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 167.53 · weakest Brisket (166.01)
Road miles
8,902
across 51 mapped stops · furthest 590 mi
Schedule strength
75%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1597)
Purse competed for
$602K
listed at 50 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 49 state-championship entries
Master avg
667.46 / 720
49 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #138 (1,175 pts) | #164 (1,091 pts) | #190 (1,047 pts) | #130 (1,121 pts) | #26 (1,860 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #199 (1,082 pts) | #137 (1,396 pts) | #201 (1,168 pts) | #130 (1,386 pts) | #130 (1,382 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #361 (602 pts) | #376 (612 pts) | #335 (752 pts) | #297 (757 pts) | #359 (632 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #493 (383 pts) | #496 (423 pts) | #555 (398 pts) | #509 (398 pts) | #380 (548 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Bucknutz BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
103 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,400 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1540
1–4 in 5 shared contests (20% to Bucknutz BBQ)
These two have cooked 5 of the same contests — Dirt Crüe BBQ ahead 4–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,406 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1558
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Bucknutz BBQ)
They've been 1558 at their best, 35 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,399 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1524
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Bucknutz BBQ)
Fewer contests behind them than Bucknutz BBQ has cooked, 6 to 51, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,397 of the rated field
- Contests
- 34
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1557
Their last contest in the data was back in 2020, 6 years before Bucknutz BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,391 of the rated field
- Contests
- 29
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1565
29 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 17% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#2,389 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1539
They were already cooking in 2016, 5 years before Bucknutz BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEAM CRAWFORD | 33 | 8 | 25 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 30 | 3 | 27 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | 27 | 1 | 26 | 4% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ Pit Bros | 24 | 7 | 17 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Low Eye Que | 22 | 4 | 18 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| T-Rex BBQ | 21 | 9 | 12 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin Suckers | 21 | 7 | 14 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 21 | 2 | 19 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | 21 | 2 | 19 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| BUCKSHOT BBQ - TX | 20 | 15 | 5 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | 20 | 5 | 15 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | 20 | 5 | 15 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| HOME FARM BBQ | 20 | 3 | 17 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | 20 | 2 | 18 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEHOUSE 72 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 50 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 178.8572 | 138.8572 | 167.53 | top 60% |
| Pork Ribs | 49 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 176.5600 | 151.9544 | 166.97 | top 60% |
| Pork | 49 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 177.7028 | 147.3828 | 167.02 | top 60% |
| Brisket | 49 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 179.4400 | 145.6112 | 166.01 | top 55% |
“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) | 3 | 0 | top 80% |
| Medium (20–39) | 27 | 0 | top 62% |
| Large (40+) | 19 | 0 | top 65% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 4 | 24 | 0 | top 79% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| SJV Winter Rub | 4 | 23 | 0 | top 83% | Jan 30, 2026 |
| Tri-City BBQ Fest | 4 | 12 | 0 | top 74% | Sep 19, 2025 |
| Shenandoah ShenDig | 3 | 15 | 0 | top 62% | Jul 17, 2026 |
| Minnesota in May | 3 | 42 | 0 | top 86% | May 8, 2026 |
| La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 50% | Oct 2, 2026 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 21% | Nov 5, 2025 |
| King of the Corn | 2 | 35 | 0 | top 92% | May 17, 2024 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
16 contests
Contests a season
8.5
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IA
24 of 51 contests · 9 states in all
Contests visited
33
8 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
50 entries · 0 wins · 10 calls
Opponents faced
1,103
finished ahead 1,382 times, behind 1,737
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20266 milestones
- Career-best single call (Brisket)179.4400 Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
- First overall podium Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1)
- Career-best overall score703.3944 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1)
- 50th tracked contest Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
- Peak power rating (1523) La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown
- Most recent contest La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown
20253 milestones
- 25th tracked contest King of the Corn
- First overall top-10 Goose's 1st Annual Pitmaster Showdown
- First category win (Brisket) Tri-City BBQ Fest
20241 milestone
- 10th tracked contest SJV Winter Rub
20221 milestone
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score656.9716 Shenandoah "ShenDig" Barbeque Championship
20212 milestones
- First tracked contest Smokin' in the Hills
- First call Smokin' in the Hills
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +20.1 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Nov 5, 2025 |
| +18.1 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 12, 2026 |
| +17.5 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1) | Jul 10, 2026 |
| +13.9 | 9th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest | Jul 25, 2025 |
| +11.6 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 13, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.1 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Mar 31, 2023 |
| -10 | 10th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest | Jul 24, 2026 |
| -9.3 | Minnesota in May | May 10, 2024 |
| -9 | Minnesota in May | May 8, 2026 |
| -8.8 | Tri City BBQ Fest | Sep 16, 2022 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 69% | top 56% | 97.7% | 94.5% |
| 2025 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 75% | top 60% | 97.6% | 93.7% |
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40% | top 77% | 94.5% | 91.1% |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17% | top 79% | 90.8% | 90.2% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 74% | 91.2% | 88.8% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 62% | 85.9% | 85.9% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2026 | La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown 🏅 La Belle, MO | 15 / 33 (681.6456) | 8 (175.4056) | 4 (176) | 32 (158.2400) | 9 (172) |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 37 / 71 (687.8968) | 30 (174.2628) | 29 (173.1200) | 10 (177.7028) | 65 (162.8112) |
| Sep 11, 2026 | Meat Inferno 🏅 Edgerton, KS | 14 / 33 (687.3140) | 20 (169.6800) | 27 (168.5256) | 5 (177.1428) | 13 (171.9656) |
| Aug 14, 2026 | BBQ & Fly-In on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO | 36 / 83 (686.2060) | 62 (167.9772) | 45 (171.9772) | 46 (170.8344) | 8 (175.4172) |
| Jul 24, 2026 | 10th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest 🏅 Emmetsburg, IA | 16 / 17 (679.8972) | 16 (171.9772) | 17 (163.3944) | 8 (174.2744) | 14 (170.2512) |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Shenandoah ShenDig 🏅 Shenandoah, IA | 15 / 28 (686.2056) | 10 (174.8456) | 5 (176.5600) | 24 (165.0972) | 13 (169.7028) |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Shenandoah ShenDig (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Shenandoah, IA | — | 9 (170.8228) | — | — | — |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1) 🏅 Cameron, MO | 3 / 37 (703.3944) | 3 (177.7028) | 15 (176) | 12 (173.1200) | 5 (176.5716) |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Rose Festival's 25th Annual KCBS BBQ Competition 🏅 State Center, IA | 17 / 20 (673.0172) | 17 (163.9428) | 19 (161.1088) | 9 (173.7028) | 3 (174.2628) |
| Jun 13, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 11 / 37 (687.3140) | 17 (173.1200) | 16 (170.8228) | 34 (163.9312) | 1 (179.4400) |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 5 / 40 (682.7888) | 22 (168.5256) | 27 (166.2516) | 10 (171.4172) | 1 (176.5944) |
| May 8, 2026 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 71 / 77 (663.8284) | 44 (170.8228) | 12 (173.7144) | 53 (168.5140) | 76 (150.7772) |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Osage City, KS | 65 / 101 (681.0284) | 49 (173.1084) | 87 (166.2400) | 43 (172) | 58 (169.6800) |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 32 / 42 (673.0288) | 23 (171.9656) | 33 (165.6916) | 28 (166.8228) | 20 (168.5488) |
| Mar 20, 2026 | 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 33 / 68 (677.5652) | 41 (168.5256) | 15 (173.7028) | 54 (166.2284) | 32 (169.1084) |
| Jan 30, 2026 | SJV Winter Rub 🏅 Omaha, NE | 33 / 38 (659.8512) | 24 (167.3712) | 31 (163.9772) | 29 (165.1200) | 29 (163.3828) |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 11 / 401 (702.8112) | 65 (175.4056) | 73 (174.8456) | 34 (177.7028) | 59 (174.8572) |
| Oct 3, 2025 | La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown 🏅 La Belle, MO | 21 / 39 (688.4800) | 3 (178.8572) | 9 (176.5600) | 24 (170.8228) | 33 (162.2400) |
| Sep 26, 2025 | Smokin on the Route 🏅 Miami, OK | 16 / 20 (687.3600) | 8 (175.4056) | 20 (169.1316) | 11 (172.5600) | 15 (170.2628) |
| Sep 19, 2025 | Tri-City BBQ Fest 🏅 Denison, IA | 12 / 26 (684.4684) | 11 (174.2628) | 25 (158.7884) | 11 (171.9772) | 1 (179.4400) |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Cruisin' and BBQin' 🏅 Hampton, IA | 12 / 18 (679.9200) | 14 (167.3828) | 8 (171.4172) | 10 (170.8344) | 9 (170.2856) |
| Jul 25, 2025 | 9th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest 🏅 Emmetsburg, IA | 11 / 31 (678.7428) | 29 (161.0856) | 17 (167.3828) | 4 (174.8572) | 2 (175.4172) |
| Jul 18, 2025 | Shenandoah ShenDig 🏅 Shenandoah, IA | 23 / 30 (670.7316) | 11 (173.1200) | 23 (165.0972) | 20 (170.2744) | 24 (162.2400) |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Goose's 1st Annual Pitmaster Showdown 🏅 Papillion, NE | 9 / 24 (679.3028) | 9 (170.8344) | 18 (167.3828) | 4 (177.7028) | 17 (163.3828) |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) 🏅 Spencer, IA | 12 / 15 (671.8400) | 11 (167.3828) | 9 (168.5372) | 4 (177.7028) | 12 (158.2172) |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Rose Festival's 24th Annual KCBS BBQ Competition 🏅 State Center, IA | 16 / 25 (668.4344) | 18 (166.8344) | 18 (162.2400) | 14 (171.9772) | 14 (167.3828) |
| May 16, 2025 | King of the Corn 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 17 / 33 (681.0284) | 9 (176) | 11 (171.4056) | 32 (162.7884) | 12 (170.8344) |
| May 9, 2025 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 42 / 58 (671.3372) | 5 (177.1428) | 41 (166.8228) | 46 (166.8228) | 49 (160.5488) |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 24 / 49 (675.3484) | 16 (172) | 47 (155.3828) | 8 (176) | 14 (171.9656) |
| Mar 21, 2025 | 7th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 54 / 70 (661.0744) | 62 (162.8228) | 63 (154.2744) | 29 (172) | 19 (171.9772) |
| Feb 21, 2025 | Fire on Ice BBQ Championship 🏅 Onamia, MN | 36 / 42 (650.7088) | 23 (170.2628) | 9 (171.4172) | 41 (152.4916) | 38 (156.5372) |
| Jan 24, 2025 | SJV Winter Rub 🏅 Omaha, NE | 26 / 32 (644.9256) | 30 (157.6572) | 8 (174.2744) | 17 (167.3828) | 30 (145.6112) |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 173 / 444 (680.5032) | 44 (176.5944) | 151 (171.9772) | 346 (161.6688) | 146 (170.2628) |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Tri City BBQ Fest 🏅 Denison, IA | 23 / 30 (656.4116) | 30 (151.3600) | 19 (165.1088) | 14 (170.2628) | 16 (169.6800) |
| Jul 19, 2024 | Shenandoah ShenDig BBQ 🏅 Shenandoah, IA | 19 / 36 (679.3140) | 26 (166.8228) | 27 (168.5256) | 9 (174.2628) | 16 (169.7028) |
| Jul 5, 2024 | Ditmars Red, White & Blue BBQ 🏅 Council Bluffs, IA | 18 / 26 (653.0516) | 23 (156.5144) | 11 (165.6800) | 8 (170.8916) | 23 (159.9656) |
| May 17, 2024 | King of the Corn 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 35 / 36 (647.8860) | 34 (162.2516) | 28 (165.6800) | 34 (156.5144) | 27 (163.4400) |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 54 / 58 (658.1944) | 26 (172) | 6 (174.3200) | 58 (149.6228) | 55 (162.2516) |
| Mar 29, 2024 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 40 / 42 (638.6400) | 36 (165.0856) | 29 (163.3944) | 37 (163.9656) | 41 (146.1944) |
| Mar 15, 2024 | 6th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 47 / 58 (643.8056) | 30 (169.7028) | 21 (171.9656) | 56 (152.5144) | 53 (149.6228) |
| Jan 26, 2024 | SJV Winter Rub 🏅 Omaha, NE | 23 / 26 (643.8744) | 9 (171.9656) | 25 (151.9544) | 24 (157.7144) | 22 (162.2400) |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Tri City BBQ Fest 🏅 Denison, IA | 27 / 32 (654.0912) | 24 (165.1200) | 16 (170.8228) | 18 (166.8112) | 30 (151.3372) |
| Jul 21, 2023 | Shenandoah ShenDig 🏅 Shenandoah, IA | 21 / 37 (650.6972) | 27 (162.8228) | 30 (157.0972) | 23 (166.2400) | 17 (164.5372) |
| May 19, 2023 | King of the Corn 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 39 / 45 (649.0512) | 39 (162.8456) | 31 (165.7372) | 28 (166.2512) | 42 (154.2172) |
| Mar 31, 2023 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 44 / 47 (641.5768) | 47 (147.9312) | 31 (165.7028) | 46 (155.9428) | 13 (172) |
| Mar 17, 2023 | 5th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 54 / 68 (651.9544) | 58 (158.8456) | 53 (162.2744) | 59 (160.5372) | 26 (170.2972) |
| Jan 27, 2023 | SJV Winter Rub 🏅 Omaha, NE | 23 / 31 (651.3600) | 12 (168.5828) | 29 (154.8228) | 26 (157.6916) | 8 (170.2628) |
| Sep 16, 2022 | Tri City BBQ Fest 🏅 Denison, IA | 22 / 25 (622.0800) | 25 (150.7884) | 21 (158.8116) | 23 (147.3828) | 17 (165.0972) |
| Jul 29, 2022 | Shenandoah "ShenDig" Barbeque Championship 🏅 Shenandoah, IA | 16 / 27 (656.9716) | 23 (161.6572) | 21 (161.0972) | 17 (164.5372) | 7 (169.6800) |
| Sep 24, 2021 | Smokin' in the Hills 🏅 Hillsboro, OH | 16 / 26 (618.3544) | 24 (138.8572) | 9 (164.5944) | 13 (162.8800) | 19 (152.0228) |