40 CALIBER BBQ

40 CALIBER BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 33 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2021. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2016). They are ranked #1342 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,342

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1577

peak 1579 · rated over 33 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 20, 2014

latest Sep 24, 2021 · 7.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#497

Master 2018 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 3% of the time

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

24% of 33 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 50%

overall standings

Best overall

682.2632 / 720

Master · Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

Perfect 180s

Current form

666.31 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 656.64 (+9.67)

Walk rate

79%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8800

Chicken · WBA Pork In The Park

Consistency

±14.36

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.89 · weakest Brisket (161.69)

Road miles

5,285

across 33 mapped stops · furthest 268 mi

Schedule strength

60%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1576)

Purse competed for

$41K

listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 7 state-championship entries

Master avg

656.64 / 720

33 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (15 found in their record)

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

Against the odds

14-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 86 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Jul 8, 2016) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 14-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, One2BBQ.

Giant slayer

30 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 30-team field at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.

Jul 8, 2016

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 WBA Pork In The Park (May 15, 2015).

Chicken 1st
Pork 1st

They almost always walk

79% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 26 of 33 contests

A top-10 category call in 79% of their 33 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

682.2632 career-best overall

94.8% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 682.2632 at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour — 94.8% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 8, 2016

The one to beat

4× one call ahead of them

Mac Attack BBQ has finished one call ahead of 40 CALIBER BBQ 4 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

28–2 behind in the head-to-head

iBQ'n ahead in 93% of their meetings

iBQ'n has come out ahead in 28 of their 30 shared contests.

Show 8 more storylines

The weak link

−5.2 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.20 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 15% of the time against 36%.

Brisket avg 161.69
Chicken avg 166.89
5 calls in 33 entries

The drought

22 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour on Jul 8, 2016 — 22 contests and 10.3 years ago.

last GC Jul 8, 2016
10.3 years ago

A strong matchup

14–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 93% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BROTHERHOOD OF SWINE in 14 of their 15 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

22 of 30 shared chicken entries lost

iBQ'n ahead 73% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, iBQ'n has out-cooked them in 22 of 30 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

AWW HELL has landed one call behind them 3 times.

An August team

Top 41% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 41% across 5 contests, versus top 50% the rest of the year.

5 August contests
top 50% the rest of the year

The long haul

5,285 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,285 miles across 33 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 268 miles to Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional).

33 mapped stops
furthest 268 mi

The metronome

±1.99% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.99% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.2% of a perfect score
33 contests

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
2021 ↗	Master	#1083 (98 pts)	#868 (158 pts)	#1103 (113 pts)	#1054 (113 pts)	#1555 (53 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#789 (88 pts)	#836 (88 pts)	#883 (73 pts)	#650 (138 pts)	#837 (78 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#497 (723 pts)	#316 (1,043 pts)	#559 (673 pts)	#483 (763 pts)	#520 (713 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1113 (280 pts)	#2207 (85 pts)	#1441 (205 pts)	#1818 (130 pts)	#1156 (280 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1487 (162 pts)	#1148 (272 pts)	#1689 (142 pts)	#1191 (272 pts)	#2134 (72 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1716 (140 pts)	#1666 (150 pts)	#1559 (170 pts)	#1653 (155 pts)	#1625 (160 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to 40 CALIBER BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Badlands BBQ

#1,340 of the rated field

1577 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1586

Careers of much the same size, 26 contests to 33, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 26 contests
last seen May 1, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

THREE DOGS BBQ

#1,339 of the rated field

1577 power rating

Contests: 52
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1612

They've been 1612 at their best, 35 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 52 contests
last seen Aug 16, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

Los Primos BBQ

#1,341 of the rated field

1577 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1594

21 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 19% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Jul 19, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

Lip S-Macn BBQ

#1,343 of the rated field

1576 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 56%
Peak: 1576

Level with 40 CALIBER BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 16 contests
last seen May 3, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

Spitballs BBQ

#1,345 of the rated field

1576 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1576

They turned up 5 years after 40 CALIBER BBQ did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Jun 26, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Smokin Mo's

#1,344 of the rated field

1576 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1576

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Jun 8, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
iBQ'n	30	2	28	7%	⚔ compare
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES	28	7	21	25%	⚔ compare
Mac Attack BBQ	26	5	21	19%	⚔ compare
FIREHOUSE SMOKE	26	5	21	19%	⚔ compare
RUBBED, SMOKED, AND SAUCED BBQ	20	6	14	30%	⚔ compare
BAD HABIT BBQ	20	5	15	25%	⚔ compare
SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ	18	4	14	22%	⚔ compare
BO B Q BBQ	17	9	8	53%	⚔ compare
AWW HELL	17	6	11	35%	⚔ compare
B&R SMOKE	16	9	7	56%	⚔ compare
BROTHERHOOD OF SWINE	15	14	1	93%	⚔ compare
BAD WOLF BBQ	15	9	6	60%	⚔ compare
KEVLAR BBQ	15	7	8	47%	⚔ compare
PB&J'S BBQ TEAM	15	5	10	33%	⚔ compare
HOLY SMOKERS MI	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	33	12	2	2	178.8800	151.3940	166.89	top 44%
Pork Ribs	33	10	0	0	173.1544	146.7772	163.41	top 49%
Pork	33	14	1	3	176.5600	142.2056	164.65	top 46%
Brisket	33	5	1	3	178.8572	140.5372	161.69	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
Medium (20–39)	27	1	top 51%
Large (40+)	6	0	top 43%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
MI	24	0	top 48%
IN	7	1	top 49%
IL	1	0	top 42%
WI	1	0	top 97%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Blues.Brews & Barbecue	3	18	0	top 59%	Jul 29, 2016
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	1	1	top 37%	Jul 7, 2017
Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com	2	10	0	top 50%	Sep 25, 2020
CCS Fest	2	18	0	top 48%	Apr 6, 2018
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	16	0	top 60%	Sep 2, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 7 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 4.1 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MI 24 of 33 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 27 5 of them more than once

First title Jul 8, 2016 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

Opponents faced 361 finished ahead 559 times, behind 514

Longest layoff 1 yrs Sep 20, 2019 → Sep 25, 2020

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

20211 milestone

Sep 24 Most recent contest Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com

20191 milestone

Sep 20 Peak power rating (1579) Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com

20181 milestone

Sep 21 25th tracked contest The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com

20165 milestones

Jun 10 10th tracked contest ELF Khurafeh Shrine BBQ Competition and Music Festival
Jul 8 First overall podium Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jul 8 First Grand Championship Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jul 8 Biggest field won (30 teams) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jul 8 Career-best overall score682.2632 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

20154 milestones

May 15 First category win (Chicken) WBA Pork In The Park
May 15 First overall top-10 WBA Pork In The Park
May 15 First multi-meat day WBA Pork In The Park
May 15 Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8800 WBA Pork In The Park

20143 milestones

Jun 20 First tracked contest 6th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off
Jul 25 First call Taste of Grand Rapids 2014
Jul 25 First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.1944 Taste of Grand Rapids 2014

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+19.2	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Jul 8, 2016
+16.1	The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com	Sep 21, 2018
+14.1	Westland Area Jaycee's All American BBQ Throwdown	Aug 3, 2018
+13.9	9th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-off	Jun 23, 2017
+9.6	WBA Pork In The Park	May 15, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.1	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	Sep 16, 2016
-6.3	ELF Khurafeh Shrine BBQ Competition and Music Festival	Jun 10, 2016
-6	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Jul 17, 2015
-6	Bordertown BBQ Brawl	Jul 19, 2019
-5.8	Blues, Brews & Barbecue	Aug 22, 2014

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	100%	top 57%	92.2%	92.2%
2020	1	0	0	0	100%	top 64%	92.4%	92.4%
2019	5	0	1	0	60%	top 43%	93.9%	92.6%
2018	6	0	2	1	83%	top 42%	94.5%	91.8%
2017	6	0	2	0	100%	top 46%	93.1%	91.3%
2016	7	1	2	1	86%	top 54%	94.8%	90.9%
2015	4	0	1	2	75%	top 58%	92.9%	89.7%
2014	3	0	0	0	33%	top 56%	92%	89.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 24, 2021	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com 🏅 Grand Haven, MI	16 / 28 (663.9200)	7 (172.5484)	13 (166.8572)	13 (168)	25 (156.5144)
Sep 25, 2020	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com 🏅 Grand Haven, MI	18 / 28 (665.5772)	18 (168.5600)	21 (163.9544)	9 (169.1200)	20 (163.9428)
Sep 20, 2019	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com 🏅 Grand Haven, MI	10 / 28 (674.7884)	10 (171.4056)	21 (163.9540)	8 (170.2744)	15 (169.1544)
Aug 2, 2019	Westland Area Jaycees All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	12 / 40 (668.5256)	19 (166.2856)	11 (168.5372)	14 (166.2972)	12 (167.4056)
Jul 19, 2019	Bordertown BBQ Brawl 🏅 Sault Ste Marie, MI	20 / 28 (658.7312)	21 (161.0856)	7 (170.2628)	2 (174.8572)	27 (152.5256)
May 3, 2019	Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL	14 / 33 (656.4228)	15 (165.6800)	25 (157.0856)	10 (170.2628)	17 (163.3944)
Apr 5, 2019	CCSFest 🏅 Indianapois, IN	14 / 40 (675.8740)	12 (170.8228)	15 (168.5484)	26 (166.2400)	11 (170.2628)
Oct 12, 2018	Smoke & Ale Fall Festival Chelsea, MI	20 / 38 (657.1084)	15 (167.9656)	15 (163.4172)	17 (162.8800)	18 (162.8456)
Sep 21, 2018	The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com Grand Haven, MI	4 / 28 (675.9772)	5 (173.7028)	4 (173.1428)	3 (169.7372)	19 (159.3944)
Aug 3, 2018	Westland Area Jaycee's All American BBQ Throwdown Westland, MI	4 / 39 (680.4800)	1 (177.7028)	31 (158.8000)	6 (171.4172)	5 (172.5600)
Jun 22, 2018	10th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off Auburn Hills, MI	15 / 30 (651.3140)	4 (172)	5 (169.6684)	15 (161.6800)	26 (147.9656)
May 11, 2018	Rockin BBQ Warsaw, IN	26 / 37 (646.1832)	15 (166.8572)	35 (150.2172)	33 (154.8344)	3 (174.2744)
Apr 6, 2018	CCS Fest Indianapolis, IN	27 / 49 (656.3996)	8 (171.9656)	29 (161.0972)	18 (165.6684)	39 (157.6684)
Sep 1, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Traverse City, MI	15 / 27 (653.0056)	10 (167.4172)	18 (158.8000)	14 (163.9656)	15 (162.8228)
Aug 4, 2017	All American BBQ Throwdown Westland, MI	10 / 29 (657.0288)	6 (168)	14 (162.8116)	21 (158.8460)	6 (167.3712)
Jul 7, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN	21 / 30 (670.1600)	24 (166.8344)	23 (162.2400)	10 (170.8228)	14 (170.2628)
Jun 23, 2017	9th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-off Auburn Hills, MI	5 / 32 (666.2972)	4 (171.4172)	14 (162.2972)	8 (168.5600)	14 (164.0228)
May 19, 2017	BBQ Throw Down Wyandotte, MI	13 / 22 (637.1084)	15 (155.3712)	12 (158.2628)	7 (164.6172)	13 (158.8572)
Apr 7, 2017	CCS Fest Indianapolis, IN	18 / 45 (658.7888)	21 (165.6684)	5 (171.4172)	35 (157.1660)	21 (164.5372)
Sep 16, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Madison, WI	29 / 30 (654.1256)	28 (165.0856)	8 (172.5600)	30 (159.3944)	28 (157.0856)
Sep 2, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Ypsilanti, MI	16 / 30 (665.0516)	18 (167.9772)	10 (169.1200)	10 (166.8344)	21 (161.1200)
Jul 29, 2016	Blues.Brews & Barbecue Birch Run, MI	18 / 39 (649.5768)	28 (155.9428)	7 (169.1200)	14 (164.5256)	15 (159.9884)
Jul 8, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN	1 / 30 (682.2632)	19 (162.8572)	4 (173.1544)	10 (167.3944)	1 (178.8572)
Jun 10, 2016	ELF Khurafeh Shrine BBQ Competition and Music Festival Clio, MI	16 / 20 (624.4800)	14 (161.1200)	9 (161.7028)	13 (161.1200)	17 (140.5372)
May 20, 2016	2nd Annual Pork in the Park Wyandotte, MI	8 / 28 (656.5024)	8 (167.9884)	16 (159.9884)	4 (174.2744)	21 (154.2512)
Apr 22, 2016	CCS Fest: CCS Spring Festival & BBQ Competition Indianapolis, IN	35 / 49 (648.4000)	31 (163.9772)	15 (167.3944)	38 (159.3712)	37 (157.6572)
Aug 21, 2015	Blues, Brews & Barbecue Birch Run, MI	19 / 33 (639.8400)	4 (171.9656)	21 (162.2400)	32 (142.2056)	12 (163.4288)
Jul 17, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Auburn Hills, MI	22 / 28 (637.5656)	11 (167.4056)	24 (157.6456)	25 (150.2400)	17 (162.2744)
Jun 26, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Ypsilanti, MI	20 / 30 (636.9940)	25 (151.3940)	28 (146.7772)	14 (162.2628)	2 (176.5600)
May 15, 2015	WBA Pork In The Park Wyandotte, MI	6 / 22 (669.1316)	1 (178.8800)	8 (165.6916)	1 (176.5600)	20 (148)
Aug 22, 2014	Blues, Brews & Barbecue Birch Run, MI	28 / 39 (634.6740)	22 (163.9428)	35 (151.3828)	25 (163.3828)	30 (155.9656)
Jul 25, 2014	Taste of Grand Rapids 2014 Grand Rapids, MI	15 / 55 (662.1944)	11 (167.9772)	13 (165.1200)	8 (170.2628)	29 (158.8344)
Jun 20, 2014	6th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off Auburn Hills, MI	21 / 31 (634.6856)	22 (159.4172)	15 (159.3828)	18 (160.5256)	17 (155.3600)

40 CALIBER BBQ

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

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (15 found in their record)

Against the odds

Giant slayer

A multi-meat day

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

The drought

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An August team

The long haul

The metronome

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)