High-water mark
513.7028
career-best overall
95.1% of a perfect 540
Their best day on record: 513.7028 at Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) — 95.1% of a perfect 540.
- Backyard
- Sep 23, 2022
Col. Buck’s BBQ
Col. Buck’s BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 21 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2021 and 2024. Their best overall finish is 4th of 34 at the York County BBQ Festival (2022). They are ranked #1506 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1563
peak 1563 · rated over 19 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
21
in the data
First seen
May 14, 2021
latest Aug 10, 2024 · 3.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
5
24% of 21 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 41%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
331.03 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 319.19 (+11.84)
Walk rate
43%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±41.76
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 165.60 · weakest Pork (161.52)
Road miles
2,195
across 21 mapped stops · furthest 660 mi
Schedule strength
62%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1579)
Purse competed for
$122K
listed at 18 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 16 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
319.19 / 360
16 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
494.92 / 540
4 Backyard (3-meat) contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Col. Buck’s BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
39 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,502 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 86%
- Peak
- 1568
0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to Col. Buck’s BBQ)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Col. Buck’s BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,504 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 15%
- Peak
- 1582
Their last contest in the data was back in 2020, 4 years before Col. Buck’s BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,509 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1563
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 18 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,508 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1565
Careers of much the same size, 22 contests to 21, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,513 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 26%
- Peak
- 1570
23 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 26% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,515 of the rated field
- Contests
- 27
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 15%
- Peak
- 1568
They were already cooking in 2014, 7 years before Col. Buck’s BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RED SMOKE BAR-B-QUE | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Weber's Backyard BBQ | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| The Fat is Where It's At | 14 | 1 | 12 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| Second Helping BBQ -PA | 13 | 13 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Mispillion Meat Works | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| 4 BOXERS Q | 12 | 11 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | 12 | 10 | 2 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Brewski's BBQ Competition Team | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Zoni-Q | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 EYZ BBQ | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE | 11 | 10 | 1 | 91% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 20 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 173.7028 | 156.5028 | 164.86 | top 46% |
| Pork Ribs | 19 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 172.5716 | 142.8116 | 165.60 | top 34% |
| Pork | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 170.8456 | 153.1428 | 161.52 | top 54% |
“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) | 1 | 0 | top 100% |
| Medium (20–39) | 11 | 0 | top 38% |
| Large (40+) | 8 | 0 | top 37% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| York County BBQ Festival | 3 | 4 | 0 | top 26% | Jun 16, 2023 |
| Smoke in the Grove (Day 2) | 3 | 12 | 0 | top 35% | Jul 30, 2022 |
| Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 49% | Aug 10, 2024 |
| Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 25% | Jul 27, 2024 |
| Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 48% | Oct 21, 2023 |
| Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 30% | Jul 29, 2023 |
| Twin Valley Fire and Smoke | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 45% | May 19, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
7 contests
Contests a season
5.3
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
PA
12 of 21 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
11
7 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
20 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls
Opponents faced
350
finished ahead 661 times, behind 475
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20243 milestones
- Career-best single call (Chicken)173.7028 Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)
- Peak power rating (1563) Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2)
- Most recent contest Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2)
20223 milestones
- First category win (Pork Ribs) York County BBQ Festival
- Career-best overall score513.7028 Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 10th tracked contest 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN
20214 milestones
- First tracked contest Twin Valley Fire and Smoke
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score327.9428 York County BBQ Festival
- First call Smoke in the Grove
- First overall top-10 Red White & Que: Day 1 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13 | York County BBQ Festival | Jun 17, 2022 |
| +11.3 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | Jul 27, 2024 |
| +11.2 | Red White & Que: Day 1 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES | Oct 22, 2021 |
| +10.5 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) | Jul 28, 2023 |
| +7.5 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jul 26, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.4 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 24, 2022 |
| -5.9 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke | May 19, 2023 |
| -4.7 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | Oct 21, 2023 |
| -1.5 | Smoke in the Grove (Day 2) | Jul 30, 2022 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 37% | 94.4% | 92.4% |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 42% | 94.3% | 84% |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 43% | top 52% | 95.1% | 92.1% |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 26% | 92.4% | 89.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2024 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) 🏅 Ashland, VA | 13 / 28 (327.4172) | 12 (166.8572) | 14 (160.5600) | 19 (158.2516) | — |
| Aug 9, 2024 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) 🏅 Ashland, VA | 14 / 27 (326.2172) | 17 (161.6800) | 13 (164.5372) | 14 (163.3944) | — |
| Jul 27, 2024 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 6 / 32 (339.9656) | 3 (173.7028) | 9 (166.2628) | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 11 / 35 (337.6572) | 23 (165.0856) | 2 (172.5716) | — | — |
| Oct 21, 2023 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 17 / 29 (323.8972) | 17 (162.2516) | 15 (161.6456) | — | — |
| Oct 20, 2023 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 13 / 34 (325.0628) | 13 (162.2400) | 13 (162.8228) | — | — |
| Jul 29, 2023 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 16 / 40 (330.8228) | 19 (164) | 12 (166.8228) | — | — |
| Jul 28, 2023 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 10 / 51 (339.4056) | 8 (171.9884) | 15 (167.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 16, 2023 | York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA | 11 / 29 (334.7888) | 15 (166.2516) | 9 (168.5372) | — | — |
| May 19, 2023 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 21 / 37 (160.5144) | 18 (160.5144) | — | — | — |
| Nov 12, 2022 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Gadsden, AL | 33 / 49 (332.4916) | 41 (162.8116) | 15 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Nov 11, 2022 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Gadsden, AL | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 24, 2022 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA | 18 / 18 (477.5776) | 18 (157.0860) | 16 (164.5600) | 16 (155.9316) | — |
| Sep 23, 2022 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA | 10 / 20 (513.7028) | 9 (172.5600) | 13 (170.2972) | 12 (170.8456) | — |
| Jul 30, 2022 | Smoke in the Grove (Day 2) 🏅 Spring Grove, PA | 21 / 42 (488.5028) | 16 (170.2628) | 15 (165.0972) | 25 (153.1428) | — |
| Jul 29, 2022 | Smoke in the Grove (Day 1) 🏅 Spring Grove, PA | 18 / 54 (499.8972) | 25 (166.2400) | 10 (170.2744) | 18 (163.3828) | — |
| Jun 17, 2022 | York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA | 4 / 34 (337.7144) | 10 (165.7372) | 1 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Red White & Que: Day 1 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Jackson, NJ | 6 / 31 (325.0744) | 11 (156.5028) | 4 (168.5716) | — | — |
| Jul 30, 2021 | Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA | 12 / 54 (332.5260) | 19 (163.9888) | 6 (168.5372) | 9 (165.6800) | — |
| Jun 18, 2021 | York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA | 12 / 41 (327.9428) | 14 (164.5484) | 12 (163.3944) | — | — |
| May 14, 2021 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 15 / 46 (305.6116) | 12 (162.8000) | 16 (142.8116) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.