Silver bullet in gold trading
The silver bullet is an ICT setup traded in three one-hour windows (3–4 a.m., 10–11 a.m., 2–3 p.m. New York), entering a fair value gap after a liquidity sweep.
Also called ICT silver bullet, Silver bullet window
The silver bullet is a time-based ICT setup. It is traded only inside three one-hour windows in New York time: 3 to 4 a.m. (London), 10 to 11 a.m. (New York morning) and 2 to 3 p.m. (New York afternoon). Within the window the trader looks for a liquidity sweep, a displacement that creates a fair value gap, and an entry in that gap in the direction of the displacement, targeting the next liquidity. The rules are deliberately narrow so that the setup is mechanical.
How it applies to gold trading
Gold suits the setup because it reliably produces displacement in those windows: the London window follows the sweep of the Asian range, the 10 a.m. window follows the US data and the COMEX open, and the 2 p.m. window often contains FOMC statements and the afternoon reversal. A typical 10 a.m. silver bullet on gold: price sweeps the 9:30 low at 10:05, displaces up through the last lower high leaving a 5-minute FVG, and the entry is in that gap with a stop below the sweep low and a target at the pre-data high.
Because the window is short, the setup either forms or it does not. Many traders use it as a training exercise for recognizing sweeps and FVGs under time pressure.
A common mistake
Stretching the window or the rules when a setup forms at 11:10. Part of the setup’s value is that it refuses marginal trades.
See also: Killzone, Fair value gap, Liquidity sweep, Displacement.
Frequently asked questions
What are the silver bullet times?
3–4 a.m., 10–11 a.m. and 2–3 p.m. New York time. They shift relative to other time zones when US daylight saving changes.
What target does the silver bullet use on gold?
The nearest liquidity in the direction of the trade, such as the session high or low or a prior day’s extreme. Traders commonly aim for at least 2R given the tight stop below the sweep.