Pistol Packin' Piggies

Pistol Packin' Piggies is a competition barbecue team with 27 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the I love Barbecue & Music Festival (2017), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #977 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Pistol Packin Piggies”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#977

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1608

peak 1608 · rated over 25 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Aug 9, 2013

latest May 29, 2026 · 12.8 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#340

Master 2017 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve · wins it all 4% of the time

Category wins

15 podiums

Overall top-10s

41% of 27 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

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

Best single call

176.5828

Brisket · The Great Adirondack BBQ

Consistency

±15.17

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 167.56 · weakest Pork Ribs (159.53)

Road miles

9,530

across 27 mapped stops · furthest 2,106 mi

Schedule strength

31%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1542)

Purse competed for

$38K

listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

651.22 / 720

26 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (15 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

1.1428 points from the title

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

Against the odds

15-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 85 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at I love Barbecue & Music Festival (Jul 7, 2017) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 15-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.

Jul 7, 2017

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
Jun 1, 2024

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%

Show 8 more storylines

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 Jul 7, 2017 — 14 contests and 9.3 years ago.

last GC Jul 7, 2017
9.3 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 (Apr 22, 2022).

last seen May 25, 2019
back Apr 22, 2022

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

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
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 (1,079 pts)	#554 (724 pts)	#475 (829 pts)	#484 (809 pts)	#290 (1,214 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#873 (384 pts)	#1297 (234 pts)	#1262 (244 pts)	#559 (699 pts)	#827 (424 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Pistol Packin' Piggies, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Ribs n Pigs BBQ

#974 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 85%
Peak: 1617

Careers of much the same size, 26 contests to 27, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Aug 1, 2026
on a 10-contest top-10 run

⚔ Compare careers

GEORGIA BOYS BBQ TEAM

#978 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 52%
Peak: 1608

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 21 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Feb 6, 2015

⚔ Compare careers

BULL RUSH BBQ

#979 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1614

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Pistol Packin' Piggies's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 20 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Wapatui Smokers

#975 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1608

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 35 contests, alongside a 40% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 35 contests
last seen Aug 28, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Salted Anchor

#981 of the rated field

1607 power rating

Contests: 38
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1610

They turned up 7 years after Pistol Packin' Piggies did, first appearing in 2020.

rated over 38 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

COOL BLUE Q

#976 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1618

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

rated over 16 contests
last seen Jul 26, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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	6	2	75%	⚔ compare
PADDY MCQ'S	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
Up-2 BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
Rogue Hog BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ 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 field size and state

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%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

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%

Repeat visits (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%	Sep 1, 2023
Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES	3	8	0	top 35%	Jun 1, 2024
Oinktoberfest	2	9	0	top 17%	Sep 20, 2014
Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival	2	13	0	top 52%	Aug 8, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 7 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 3 across 9 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NY 14 of 27 contests · 9 states and provinces in all

Contests visited 19 4 of them more than once

First title Jul 7, 2017 I love Barbecue & Music Festival

Opponents faced 564 finished ahead 670 times, behind 379

Longest layoff 2.9 yrs May 25, 2019 → Apr 22, 2022

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

20262 milestones

May 29 Peak power rating (1608) La Classique - L'Entrepot de Viandes
May 29 Most recent contest La Classique - L'Entrepot de Viandes

20241 milestone

Jun 1 Career-best overall score679.9772 Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES

20231 milestone

Sep 1 25th tracked contest I Love Barbecue & Music Festival

20174 milestones

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

20162 milestones

Aug 6 First overall podium Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship
Aug 6 10th tracked contest Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship

20141 milestone

Jul 4 First overall top-10 I Love Barbecue & Music Festival

20134 milestones

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.3	I love Barbecue & Music Festival	Jul 7, 2017
+13.6	Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship	Aug 6, 2016
+12.1	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival	Jul 4, 2014
+11.4	Oinktoberfest	Sep 20, 2014
+10.6	Oinktoberfest	Sep 20, 2013

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6.9	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival	Aug 9, 2013
-6.5	New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES	Apr 22, 2022
-6.3	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival	Sep 1, 2023
-3.9	Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff	Sep 23, 2016
-1.5	Roc City Rib Fest	May 24, 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)
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
May 29, 2026	La Classique - L'Entrepot de Viandes Montreal, QC	10 / 24 (671.4056)	3 (172)	22 (158.8572)	8 (170.2628)	6 (170.2856)
Jun 1, 2024	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)
Sep 1, 2023	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	13 / 18 (654.7200)	13 (165.7028)	16 (153.6572)	12 (165.0972)	4 (170.2628)
Jun 17, 2023	Stuttering John's Smokehouse BBQ Competition Seagrave, ON	4 / 15 (652.4572)	6 (164.5484)	7 (161.6572)	2 (168)	5 (158.2516)
Jun 3, 2023	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)
Sep 2, 2022	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)
Jun 4, 2022	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)
Apr 22, 2022	New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Blairstown, NJ	26 / 48 (659.8168)	37 (161.6340)	40 (158.8000)	5 (176)	27 (163.3828)
May 25, 2019	Capital BBQ Festival Ottawa, ON	17 / 43 (658.7196)	17 (165.1200)	13 (166.2512)	12 (167.4056)	24 (159.9428)
Sep 9, 2017	Green Mountain BBQ Championship Randolph, VT	14 / 32 (666.2404)	6 (171.4628)	16 (163.9888)	25 (161.1088)	11 (169.6800)
Aug 25, 2017	The Great Catskill MTN BBQ Fest Fleischmanns, NY	2 / 17 (659.3716)	8 (166.8572)	3 (161.7144)	8 (163.9772)	3 (166.8228)
Aug 5, 2017	Capital BBQ Festival Ottawa, ON	8 / 42 (644.9828)	22 (160.5372)	9 (162.8228)	14 (163.3828)	16 (158.2400)
Jul 28, 2017	The Great Adirondack BBQ Old Forge, NY	12 / 30 (643.2568)	20 (158.2056)	26 (145.6456)	8 (162.8228)	1 (176.5828)
Jul 15, 2017	Rotary Ribs and Rhythm & Blues Auburn, NY	6 / 25 (654.8116)	16 (151.9544)	7 (165.1316)	5 (166.2856)	3 (171.4400)
Jul 7, 2017	I love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	1 / 40 (669.7028)	7 (164.5828)	8 (165.6800)	6 (164.5944)	2 (174.8456)
Jun 16, 2017	Wolf BBQ FEst Richmond 2017 Richmond, QC	4 / 17 (635.2112)	5 (159.3944)	11 (150.2056)	1 (173.1084)	10 (152.5028)
Sep 23, 2016	Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff Clarence, NY	32 / 54 (624.9484)	38 (155.9312)	40 (150.2516)	11 (166.2400)	34 (152.5256)
Aug 6, 2016	Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship Ottawa, CA	3 / 41 (635.9312)	16 (155.4628)	4 (159.9772)	8 (161.6684)	6 (158.8228)
Sep 20, 2014	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	9 / 66 (651.9656)	38 (157.1544)	19 (162.8572)	1 (172.5484)	23 (159.4056)
Aug 16, 2014	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	20 / 60 (639.2796)	35 (158.8456)	39 (153.6800)	2 (173.1084)	34 (153.6456)
Aug 8, 2014	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY	13 / 39 (657.0516)	21 (164.5716)	29 (154.8000)	13 (164.5372)	2 (173.1428)
Jul 4, 2014	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	5 / 27 (631.8744)	9 (159.9772)	12 (153.0972)	6 (159.3828)	8 (159.4172)
May 24, 2014	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	49 / 86 (626.7768)	56 (155.9768)	51 (154.2744)	58 (154.2628)	32 (162.2628)
Nov 7, 2013	World Food Championships - World Barbecue Championship (Competitor's Series) Las Vegas, NV	—	—	12 (173.7028)	2 (176.5716)	53 (152)
Oct 25, 2013	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)
Sep 20, 2013	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	14 / 71 (654.8344)	16 (166.2972)	38 (152.5716)	1 (170.8572)	15 (165.1084)
Aug 9, 2013	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY	22 / 31 (625.6688)	24 (155.4512)	6 (165.7144)	6 (166.8460)	29 (137.6572)

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

Pistol Packin' Piggies

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)

The heartbreaker

Against the odds

Giant slayer

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

The drought

A strong matchup

The comeback

A July 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)