ICT Silver Bullet Strategy: How to Trade the 3 Daily Windows

The Silver Bullet is one of ICT's most practical intraday models. It strips away complexity and gives you a repeatable process: wait for a specific one-hour window, find a fair value gap, and trade the rebalance. No discretion about "what the market looks like." Either the setup is there within the window, or you don't trade.

That simplicity is what makes it effective. Here's how it works.

What Is the Silver Bullet?

The Silver Bullet is a time-based entry model that targets fair value gaps forming during three specific one-hour windows in the trading day. These windows coincide with periods of institutional activity where displacement moves are most likely to create tradeable FVGs.

The core premise: institutions create displacement during key hours. That displacement leaves fair value gaps. Price returns to fill those gaps - often within the same session. The Silver Bullet captures that rebalancing move.

The Three Silver Bullet Windows

All times are in EST (New York time).

Window 1: London Open (3:00 AM - 4:00 AM EST)

European institutional desks come online and begin executing orders. This often creates the first major displacement of the day, frequently sweeping Asian session liquidity before establishing direction.

Best for: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, Gold. Any instrument with heavy European participation.

Window 2: New York AM (10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST)

The most popular Silver Bullet window. The initial New York volatility from the 9:30 AM equity open has settled, and institutional traders begin executing their directional bias. This window produces the highest-probability setups because it occurs during the overlap of London and New York kill zones.

Best for: All major pairs, indices (ES, NQ), Gold. The deepest liquidity window of the day.

Window 3: New York PM (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST)

Afternoon positioning before the equity close. European desks are closing out and US institutions make final adjustments. Less reliable than the AM window but still produces valid setups, especially for continuation trades in the established daily direction.

Best for: Indices (especially near equity close), major pairs with existing daily momentum.

How to Trade the Silver Bullet

Step 1: Establish Higher Timeframe Bias

Before the Silver Bullet window opens, you need to know the direction you want to trade. The Silver Bullet is an entry model, not a directional model - it tells you when and where to enter, not which way to trade.

Determine bias using:

• Daily or 4H market structure - Is the trend bullish or bearish?
• Previous session behavior - Did London sweep the Asian low (suggesting bullish) or high (suggesting bearish)?
• Key levels above/below - Where are the nearest liquidity targets?

If you don't have a clear directional bias, don't take a Silver Bullet trade. The model requires confluence with higher timeframe context.

Step 2: Wait for Displacement Inside the Window

Once the Silver Bullet window opens, watch for a displacement move - a strong, impulsive candle or series of candles that creates a fair value gap. This displacement should:

• Occur within the one-hour window (not before, not after)
• Be a sharp, aggressive move (large-bodied candles, minimal wicks)
• Create at least one clear FVG
• Ideally sweep a liquidity level (previous high/low, equal highs/lows) before displacing

If the window opens and price chops sideways with no displacement, there is no Silver Bullet setup. Move on.

Step 3: Mark the Fair Value Gap

Identify the FVG left behind by the displacement:

• Bullish Silver Bullet: Price displaces upward. Mark the bullish FVG (gap between candle 1's high and candle 3's low)
• Bearish Silver Bullet: Price displaces downward. Mark the bearish FVG (gap between candle 1's low and candle 3's high)

The FVG should be on the 1-minute to 5-minute chart. The Silver Bullet is an intraday precision model - you want the tightest entry possible.

Step 4: Enter on the FVG Retest

Wait for price to retrace back into the fair value gap. The entry is at the FVG zone - either at the edge for aggressive entries, or at the midpoint (consequent encroachment) for conservative entries.

Entry confirmation options:

• Price wicks into the FVG and immediately reverses (simplest)
• A lower timeframe change of character forms at the FVG
• An order block sits at the same level as the FVG (highest confluence)

Step 5: Set Stop-Loss and Take-Profit

Stop-loss: Below the FVG (bullish) or above the FVG (bearish). If the gap gets fully filled and price continues through, the setup is invalidated.

Take-profit targets:

• First target: The high/low of the displacement move
• Second target: The next liquidity level (previous session high/low, equal highs/lows)
• Extended target: The next higher timeframe FVG or order block in the direction of your trade

The typical Silver Bullet trade offers 2:1 to 4:1 risk-reward because the FVG provides a tight entry zone while the displacement high/low gives a substantial first target.

Silver Bullet Checklist

Factor	Check	Required?
Within a Silver Bullet window	3-4 AM, 10-11 AM, or 2-3 PM EST	Yes
HTF directional bias established	Daily/4H structure clear	Yes
Displacement occurred in window	Sharp impulsive move	Yes
FVG created by displacement	Clear 3-candle gap	Yes
Price retraces to FVG	Entry at gap zone	Yes
Liquidity swept before displacement	Previous high/low taken	Preferred
Order block at FVG level	Additional confluence	Preferred
Risk-reward ≥ 2:1	SL at FVG invalidation	Yes

Which Timeframe?

The Silver Bullet is primarily a 1-minute to 5-minute chart model:

• 1-minute: Maximum precision. Tightest FVGs, best risk-reward. Requires fast execution and attention during the window.
• 3-minute: Good balance between precision and noise reduction.
• 5-minute: More forgiving. Slightly wider stops but clearer FVG formation.
• 15-minute: Possible but the one-hour window only gives you 4 candles. You may miss valid setups that are visible on lower timeframes.

Most traders start on the 5-minute and refine down to 1-3 minute as they get comfortable with the model.

Silver Bullet vs Other ICT Models

The Silver Bullet is not the only ICT entry model, but it's one of the most accessible:

Silver Bullet strengths:

• Extremely defined rules - time windows remove ambiguity
• Works on any liquid instrument
• Intraday completion - no overnight exposure
• Beginner-friendly within the ICT framework

Where other models may be better:

• Multi-timeframe confluence setups capture larger swing moves
• Order block retests without time restrictions offer more opportunities
• Break of structure continuation trades catch trend moves the Silver Bullet misses

The Silver Bullet works best as part of a broader toolkit. Use it for intraday precision entries when the window and FVG align, and use other models for setups outside these windows.

Common Mistakes

1. Trading Outside the Window

A fair value gap at 11:30 AM is not a Silver Bullet setup, even if it looks identical. The time constraint is the model. If you remove it, you're just trading FVG retests - which is a different strategy with different statistics.

2. Forcing a Trade in Every Window

Most Silver Bullet windows will not produce a valid setup. If there's no displacement, there's no trade. The model is designed for patience - you might only get 2-3 valid setups per week. That selectivity is the edge.

3. No Higher Timeframe Bias

Taking a bearish Silver Bullet in a strong bullish trend because "the FVG was there" leads to consistent losses. The Silver Bullet entry only works when it aligns with the higher timeframe direction.

4. Entering Before the Retest

The displacement move is not the entry. The entry is when price returns to the FVG. Many traders see the displacement, panic about missing the move, and chase. The retest is the trade.

5. Ignoring the Liquidity Sweep

The highest-probability Silver Bullet setups occur after a liquidity sweep. The displacement that sweeps a previous high/low before creating the FVG is significantly more reliable than a displacement into open space.

Realistic Performance

Metric	Expected Range
Valid setups per week	2-4
Win rate (with HTF bias)	55-65%
Average risk-reward	2:1 - 3:1
Best window	10:00-11:00 AM EST
Best instruments	Major forex pairs, ES, NQ, Gold

These numbers assume proper filtering. Taking every FVG in every window regardless of context will produce significantly worse results.

Key Takeaways

• The Silver Bullet targets FVGs within three specific one-hour windows: 3-4 AM, 10-11 AM, and 2-3 PM EST
• It is an entry model, not a directional model - you need higher timeframe bias first
• The 10:00-11:00 AM window produces the most consistent setups
• Displacement must occur within the window and create a clear fair value gap
• The entry is the FVG retest, not the displacement itself
• Setups that include a liquidity sweep before the displacement are highest probability
• Most windows will not produce a valid setup - patience and selectivity are the edge
• Use a 1-5 minute chart for maximum precision within the narrow time window