Pistol Packin' Piggies

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

Power ranking

#1035

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1601

peak 1601 · rated over 25 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-08-09

latest 2026-05-29

Best ToY finish

#340

Master 2017

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

15 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 27 contests

Avg finish

top 36%

overall standings

Best overall

679.9772 / 720

Master · Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES

Perfect 180s

Current form

666.67 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 651.22 (+15.44)

Walk rate

85%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

176.5828

Brisket · *The Great Adirondack BBQ

Consistency

±15.17

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 167.56 · weakest Pork Ribs (159.53)

Road miles

9,530

mi across 27 mapped stops · furthest 2106 mi

Schedule strength

31%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1541)

Purse competed for

$38K

listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

651.22 / 720

26 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (15 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.

The heartbreaker

1.1428 points from the title

Came within 1.1428 points of the Grand Championship at *The Great Catskill MTN BBQ Fest (2017-08-25).

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 I love Barbecue & Music Festival (2017-07-07) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 14-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE.

Giant slayer

40 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 40-team field at I love Barbecue & Music Festival.

2017-07-07

Happy hunting ground

Top 17% average finish here

Oinktoberfest is their spot: an average finish in the top 17% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 9th
average top 17%

They almost always walk

85% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 23 of 27 contests

A top-10 category call in 85% of their 27 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

679.9772 career-best overall

94.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 679.9772 at Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES — 94.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2024-06-01

Their season

2017 1 Grand Championship

2017 was the year it came together: 7 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 24%.

7 contests
5 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 24%

A tough matchup

15–1 behind in the head-to-head

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA ahead in 94% of their meetings

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA has come out ahead in 15 of their 16 shared contests.

The weak link

−8.0 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 8.03 points below their pork, and turns into a call 30% of the time against 67%.

Pork Ribs avg 159.53
Pork avg 167.56
8 calls in 27 entries

The drought

14 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at I love Barbecue & Music Festival on 2017-07-07 — 14 contests and 9.2 years ago.

last GC 2017-07-07
9.2 years ago

A strong matchup

7–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 78% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of THE GOOD CUE CREW in 7 of their 9 shared contests.

The comeback

2.9 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.9 years, then back at New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (2022-04-22).

last seen 2019-05-25
back 2022-04-22

A July team

Top 21% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 21% across 4 contests, versus top 36% the rest of the year.

4 July contests
top 36% the rest of the year

The long haul

9,530 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 9,530 miles across 27 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 2,106 miles to World Food Championships - World Barbecue Championship(Competitor's Series).

27 mapped stops
furthest 2,106 mi

The metronome

±2.11% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.11% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.4% of a perfect score
27 contests

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.

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

BLAZING CATTLES BBQ

#1033 of the rated field

1601 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1601

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 20 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 20 contests
last seen 2018-06-22

⚔ Head-to-head

MEAT SWEATS BBQ AB

#1034 of the rated field

1601 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1601

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 20 contests to 27, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 19 contests
last seen 2025-08-30

⚔ Head-to-head

PORK BARREL BBQ

#1032 of the rated field

1601 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 55
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1665

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before Pistol Packin' Piggies's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 52 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

THAT'S OUR QUE

#1049 of the rated field

1599 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 42%
Peak: 1600

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 26 contests, alongside a 42% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 26 contests
last seen 2019-06-01

⚔ Head-to-head

Woodquarter Smokerheads

#1042 of the rated field

1600 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 85%
Peak: 1612

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 9 years after Pistol Packin' Piggies did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 24 contests
last seen 2026-07-18

⚔ Head-to-head

RUBY CREEK BBQ

#1040 of the rated field

1600 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1600

No shared contest yet.

Level with Pistol Packin' Piggies on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2026-06-19

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS	19	9	10	47%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
GOOD SMOKE BBQ	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
TEAM EATAPEDIA	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
THE GOOD CUE CREW	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare
KISS MY BBQ	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
What the Pork?	8	6	2	75%	⚔ compare
BEHIND BBQ	8	5	2	63%	⚔ compare
PADDY MCQ'S	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
Rogue Hog BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
Up-2 BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
Q'N CANUCKS	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
BOYMEETSGRILL	6	6	0	100%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	26	8	0	1	173.7028	151.9544	162.71	top 46%
Pork Ribs	27	8	0	1	173.7256	145.6456	159.53	top 51%
Pork	27	18	3	8	176.5716	154.2628	167.56	top 25%
Brisket	27	13	1	5	176.5828	137.6572	161.94	top 40%

“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
NY	14	1	top 36%
NH	3	0	top 35%
ON	3	0	top 28%
QC	2	0	top 33%
NJ	1	0	top 54%
VT	1	0	top 44%
CA	1	0	top 7%
TN	1	0	top 54%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	4	0	top 34%
Medium (20–39)	11	0	top 39%
Large (40+)	11	1	top 33%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
I Love Barbecue & Music Festival	4	1	1	top 37%	2023-09-01
Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES	3	8	0	top 35%	2024-06-01
Oinktoberfest	2	9	0	top 17%	2014-09-20
Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival	2	13	0	top 52%	2014-08-08

The story so far (20 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 12.8 yrs 2013-08-09 → 2026-05-29

Busiest season 2017 7 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 3 across 9 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NY 14 of 27 contests · 9 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 19 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 27 entries · 0 wins · 8 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 167.56 · weakest Pork Ribs (159.53)

Walk rate 85% a top-10 call in 23 of 27 contests

Overall top-10 rate 41% 11 of 27 contests

Wins it all 4% 1 Grand Championship · 1 reserve

First title 2017-07-07 I love Barbecue & Music Festival

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 651.22 out of 720 · 26 contests · 1 GC

Opponents faced 569 647–401 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 9,530 27 mapped stops · furthest 2,106 mi

Schedule strength 1541 average field rating faced — tougher than 31% of rated contests

Purse competed for $37,760 listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 4 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 2.9 yrs 2019-05-25 → 2022-04-22

Power rating 1601 peak 1601 · #1035 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Aug 9 First tracked contest Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival
Aug 9 First call Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival
Sep 20 First category win (Pork) Oinktoberfest
Sep 20 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.8344 Oinktoberfest
2014
Jul 4 First overall top-10 I Love Barbecue & Music Festival
2016
Aug 6 First overall podium Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship
Aug 6 10th tracked contest Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship
2017
Jul 7 First Grand Championship I love Barbecue & Music Festival
Jul 7 Biggest field won (40 teams) I love Barbecue & Music Festival
Jul 28 Career-best single call (Brisket)176.5828 *The Great Adirondack BBQ
Aug 25 First Reserve Championship *The Great Catskill MTN BBQ Fest
2023
Sep 1 25th tracked contest I Love Barbecue & Music Festival
2024
Jun 1 Career-best overall score679.9772 Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
2026
May 29 Peak power rating (1601) La Classique - L'Entrepot de Viandes
May 29 Most recent contest La Classique - L'Entrepot de Viandes

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.7	I love Barbecue & Music Festival	2017-07-07
+14	Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship	2016-08-06
+12.2	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival	2014-07-04
+11.7	Oinktoberfest	2014-09-20
+11.2	*The Great Catskill MTN BBQ Fest	2017-08-25

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6.9	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival	2013-08-09
-6	New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES	2022-04-22
-6	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival	2023-09-01
-3.7	Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff	2016-09-23
-1.5	Roc City Rib Fest	2014-05-24

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	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	1	0	100%	top 42%	93.3%	93.3%
2024	1	0	1	0	100%	top 22%	94.4%	94.4%
2023	3	0	1	0	100%	top 44%	93.7%	91.8%
2022	3	0	0	0	100%	top 52%	91.9%	90.7%
2019	1	0	0	0	0%	top 40%	91.5%	91.5%
2017	7	1	5	2	100%	top 24%	93%	90.7%
2016	2	0	1	0	50%	top 33%	88.3%	87.6%
2014	5	0	2	1	80%	top 31%	91.3%	89.1%
2013	4	0	0	1	75%	top 48%	91.3%	89.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026-05-29	La Classique - L'Entrepot de Viandes Montreal, QC	10 / 24 (671.4056)	3 (172.0000)	22 (158.8572)	8 (170.2628)	6 (170.2856)
2024-06-01	Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Merrimack, NH	8 / 37 (679.9772)	11 (171.4400)	29 (163.4288)	2 (175.4400)	9 (169.6684)
2023-09-01	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	13 / 18 (654.7200)	13 (165.7028)	16 (153.6572)	12 (165.0972)	4 (170.2628)
2023-06-17	Stuttering John's Smokehouse BBQ Competition Seagrave, ON	4 / 15 (652.4572)	6 (164.5484)	7 (161.6572)	2 (168.0000)	5 (158.2516)
2023-06-03	Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Merrimack, NH	13 / 39 (674.7652)	7 (173.7028)	4 (173.7256)	17 (166.8456)	27 (160.4912)
2022-09-02	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival (Masters) (JUDGING FULL) Lake Placid, NY	12 / 22 (638.7312)	11 (163.9772)	17 (154.8228)	8 (167.9656)	19 (151.9656)
2022-06-04	Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Merrimack, NH	18 / 37 (661.5768)	27 (158.2056)	33 (154.8228)	2 (175.4056)	8 (173.1428)
2022-04-22	New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Blairstown, NJ	26 / 48 (659.8168)	37 (161.6340)	40 (158.8000)	5 (176.0000)	27 (163.3828)
2019-05-25	Capital BBQ Festival Ottawa, ON	17 / 43 (658.7196)	17 (165.1200)	13 (166.2512)	12 (167.4056)	24 (159.9428)
2017-09-09	Green Mountain BBQ Championship Randolph, VT	14 / 32 (666.2404)	6 (171.4628)	16 (163.9888)	25 (161.1088)	11 (169.6800)
2017-08-25	*The Great Catskill MTN BBQ Fest Fleischmanns, NY	2 / 17 (659.3716)	8 (166.8572)	3 (161.7144)	8 (163.9772)	3 (166.8228)
2017-08-05	Capital BBQ Festival Ottawa, ON	8 / 42 (644.9828)	22 (160.5372)	9 (162.8228)	14 (163.3828)	16 (158.2400)
2017-07-28	*The Great Adirondack BBQ Old Forge, NY	12 / 30 (643.2568)	20 (158.2056)	26 (145.6456)	8 (162.8228)	1 (176.5828)
2017-07-15	*Rotary Ribs and Rhythm & Blues Auburn, NY	6 / 25 (654.8116)	16 (151.9544)	7 (165.1316)	5 (166.2856)	3 (171.4400)
2017-07-07	I love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	1 / 40 (669.7028)	7 (164.5828)	8 (165.6800)	6 (164.5944)	2 (174.8456)
2017-06-16	*Wolf BBQ FEst Richmond 2017 Richmond, QC	4 / 17 (635.2112)	5 (159.3944)	11 (150.2056)	1 (173.1084)	10 (152.5028)
2016-09-23	Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff Clarence, NY	32 / 54 (624.9484)	38 (155.9312)	40 (150.2516)	11 (166.2400)	34 (152.5256)
2016-08-06	Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship Ottawa, CA	3 / 41 (635.9312)	16 (155.4628)	4 (159.9772)	8 (161.6684)	6 (158.8228)
2014-09-20	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	9 / 66 (651.9656)	38 (157.1544)	19 (162.8572)	1 (172.5484)	23 (159.4056)
2014-08-16	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	20 / 60 (639.2796)	35 (158.8456)	39 (153.6800)	2 (173.1084)	34 (153.6456)
2014-08-08	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY	13 / 39 (657.0516)	21 (164.5716)	29 (154.8000)	13 (164.5372)	2 (173.1428)
2014-07-04	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	5 / 27 (631.8744)	9 (159.9772)	12 (153.0972)	6 (159.3828)	8 (159.4172)
2014-05-24	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	49 / 86 (626.7768)	56 (155.9768)	51 (154.2744)	58 (154.2628)	32 (162.2628)
2013-11-07	World Food Championships - World Barbecue Championship(Competitor's Series) Las Vegas, NV	—	—	12 (173.7028)	2 (176.5716)	53 (152.0000)
2013-10-25	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN	52 / 97 (657.7032)	14 (171.4400)	50 (165.1200)	17 (170.2972)	78 (150.8460)
2013-09-20	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	14 / 71 (654.8344)	16 (166.2972)	38 (152.5716)	1 (170.8572)	15 (165.1084)
2013-08-09	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY	22 / 31 (625.6688)	24 (155.4512)	6 (165.7144)	6 (166.8460)	29 (137.6572)

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
2024 ↗	Master	#811 (155 pts)	#944 (130 pts)	#1317 (60 pts)	#660 (260 pts)	#861 (145 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#465 (413 pts)	#496 (423 pts)	#520 (443 pts)	#465 (448 pts)	#473 (418 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#340 (1079 pts)	#554 (724 pts)	#475 (829 pts)	#484 (809 pts)	#290 (1214 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#873 (384 pts)	#1297 (234 pts)	#1262 (244 pts)	#559 (699 pts)	#827 (424 pts)