NinjaTrader 8 strategy · NQ / MNQ · 5-minute chart

One setup. One entry. One stop you never move.

One Shot Trader waits for the market to break structure, then takes a single planned entry on the first pullback. Stop and size are set before the entry. No revenge trades, no moved stops, no fifteen clicks a day.

See plans See live results, losses included

Rithmic or Tradovate Max 5 trades/day Daily loss lock Start in simulation

Illustrative drawing of the setup, not a real trade.

Live account · updated weekly, every Saturday · last update: Nov 13, 2026

Every trade, including the losses.

October 2026 Sep 30 – Oct 30

15trades

14 / 1wins / losses

93%win rate

9.85profit factor

+$4,178net, before fees

−$328worst day

See every trading day

Day	Trades	Net
Sep 30	1	+$187.50
Oct 4	1	+$302.50
Oct 7	1	+$208
Oct 8	2	+$835
Oct 11	1	+$357.50
Oct 12	1	+$458
Oct 15	2	−$328
Oct 19	1	+$442.50
Oct 22	1	+$444
Oct 26	1	+$402.50
Oct 27	1	+$195
Oct 28	1	+$497.50
Oct 30	1	+$176

Oct 15: 2 trades, one win (+$144) and one loss (−$472).

November 2026 month to date · Nov 3 – Nov 11

5trades

5 / 0wins / losses

100%win rate

—profit factor (no losses yet)

+$1,263net, before fees

+$82.50weakest day (no red day yet)

See every trading day

Day	Trades	Net
Nov 3	1	+$82.50
Nov 4	2	+$601
Nov 5	1	+$451.50
Nov 11	1	+$128

5 trades in 10 trading sessions. A month with no losses so far is a small sample, not the norm. Losing trades and losing weeks will happen, and they will be shown here the same way.

What this sample is

One account, MNQ, $500 risk per trade, up to 5 contracts, default settings, since Sep 30, 2026. It is a small sample. It shows the strategy behaving as designed; it does not predict what the next trades will do.

Backtest, for context

Aug 3 – Oct 9, 2026, MNQ 5-min: 186 trades, 73% win rate, profit factor 1.62, max drawdown about $3,000, no commissions or slippage. The parameters were tuned on this same period, so treat it as hypothetical (see the disclaimer below). The first live trades (Sep 30 – Oct 9) fall inside that same period.

This page is updated every Saturday with the week's trades, wins and losses. New trades are also posted on Instagram @oneshottrader.

How we run it

Fewer trades, on purpose.

In November so far, the strategy took 5 trades in 10 trading sessions. That is by design: One Shot Trader does not look for a trade every day, only for setups that meet its full "sniper" criteria. Some weeks will have just a few trades. Some may have none.

One trade a day

Our own setup: one trade per day, in the 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM New York window. In our experience, this price-action setup deals with less noise in those hours. Take a single shot, then wait.

Your settings, your call

The strategy also runs in other time windows and can take more trades per day (up to 5). Those are settings you choose. We can only tell you what we run ourselves: one trade, patience, execution.

Test before you trust it

Start in simulation. Use demo accounts or prop-firm evaluations and validate it yourself before risking real money. Respect your money: nothing here guarantees profit, and great months can be followed by losing streaks for many reasons.

The rule, in order

Four checks before a single order goes out.

Wait for structure

It does nothing until the market shows a clear break in direction. Most hours, that means no trade.

Mark one entry zone

The move leaves a single price zone behind. Built-in filters decide whether that zone is worth trading or should be skipped.

First retest only

A limit order waits in the zone. If price touches without filling, the setup is discarded. No second chances.

Exit is pre-planned

Stop and size are set before the entry, from your dollar risk. A stepped trailing stop follows the trade. Daily loss and trade limits lock the day.

You choose

Dollar risk per trade and max contracts
Daily loss limit and max trades per day
When the trailing stop starts (0.3R to 1R)
Trading window and flatten time (New York time)
Longs, shorts, or both

Fixed and closed, so you can't break the rule

The entry rules and their filters
Where the stop goes and how far it can be
When a pending setup gets canceled
How the trailing stop steps and where it exits

Free guide · 22 pages · 40+ diagrams

The Chart Playbook

Candlestick patterns, chart patterns and smart-money (ICT-style) concepts, explained the simple way, with original diagrams.

Single, two and three-candle patterns, and why context matters more
Head & shoulders, double tops, flags, triangles and how to handle the breakout
Market structure, liquidity, fair value gaps, order blocks, premium/discount and kill zones
A simple confluence checklist and risk-management basics

100% free. No paid "part 2", no locked chapters. We build One Shot Trader, an automated NinjaTrader strategy, and this guide is what we wish we'd had when we started.

Get the free Playbook

We'll ask for your e-mail to send the guide. You may also get occasional One Shot Trader news; unsubscribe anytime. Educational content only, not financial advice.

Plans

Same strategy on every plan. Pick how long.

Prices coming soon. The founding launch is limited to 100 licenses.
Already on the waitlist? Waitlist members hear about the launch first.

Join the waitlist

Monthly

Coming soon

Billed monthly. Cancel anytime.

Full strategy
2 computers
Updates while active
E-mail support

Start monthly

Quarterly

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Billed every 3 months.

Full strategy
2 computers
Updates while active
E-mail support

Start quarterly

RecommendedBest value

Yearly

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Billed yearly.

Full strategy
2 computers
Updates while active
Priority support

Start yearly

Pay once

Lifetime

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Pay once. No renewals, ever.

Full strategy
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All 1.x updates
Priority support

Get lifetime

Plans, prices, license terms and refund policy will be published here at launch, before any payment is possible. Prop firm, platform and data fees are not included. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss; see the Risk Disclosure.

Before you buy

What you need

NinjaTrader 8Desktop version on Windows (or a Windows VPS). Free to download; live trading needs a NinjaTrader license or a broker/prop firm that provides one.

Any data feedWorks on standard 5-minute bars. Rithmic and Tradovate both work; no order flow subscription is needed.

Check your firm's rulesSome prop firms do not allow fully automated strategies. Read your firm's rules before running it on an evaluation or funded account.

FAQ

Does it guarantee profits?

No. It follows a fixed set of rules. Some weeks those rules lose money. The live results above include losing trades, and future results can be worse.

Which instruments and timeframe?

NQ and MNQ on a 5-minute chart. The internal settings were calibrated for the Nasdaq futures; other instruments are blocked until they are tested.

Should I start with MNQ or NQ?

MNQ. One NQ contract is the same as 10 MNQ: it moves $20 per point instead of $2. With a $500 risk per trade, a single NQ contract only fits setups with a stop of 25 points or less, so the strategy would skip most of its trades. MNQ lets the strategy size the position to your risk (for example 5 MNQ instead of half an NQ) and keeps every setup tradable. NQ makes sense only on large accounts, with a risk per trade and daily limits sized for it.

When does it trade?

By default it looks for entries from 8:00 pm to 11:00 am New York time and closes any open position at 3:00 pm. You can change the window. It takes at most 5 trades a day. We run it ourselves with one trade a day in the 8:00 pm – 1:00 am New York window (see How we run it).

Can I change the strategy settings?

You control risk, contracts, daily limits, schedule and when the trailing stop starts. The entry rules are fixed on purpose: they are the part that was tested.

How does the license work?

You get a key by e-mail. Paste it in the strategy settings. It works on up to 2 computers and keeps working for 24 hours if your internet drops. Changing computers? E-mail support and we reset it.

Can I cancel? Is there a refund?

Cancel anytime in the billing portal; the license keeps working until the end of the period you paid for. The first yearly purchase has a 7-day money-back after you install and run it. Monthly, quarterly and lifetime are non-refundable once your key is delivered, so the monthly plan is the low-cost way to try it.

Where are the license terms?

The full License Terms and Refund Policy will be published on this site at launch, together with the checkout. Nothing is sold before that. Until then, the Risk Disclosure applies to everything on this site.

Is this financial advice or a signal service?

No. It is software that you install, configure and run on your own account. You decide whether and how to use it. Nothing on this site is a recommendation to buy or sell any instrument.

What if breaking news makes price jump past the stop?

Every trade has a stop from the moment it opens, and the strategy has a daily loss limit. As an extra layer, we recommend setting an account-level loss limit in your platform (Rithmic Auto Liquidate or Tradovate Risk Settings), a little above the strategy's daily limit. The install guide shows how and which numbers to use. In extreme moves, fills can still slip beyond any stop.

Do you use it yourselves?

Yes. The results on this page come from our own account, and we keep posting new trades every week.

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Install guide

About 10 minutes. Do this on the Windows computer that runs NinjaTrader 8.

1. Download

Download OneShotTrader_v1.0.0.zip from the link in your welcome e-mail. Do not unzip it.

2. Import into NinjaTrader 8

Open NinjaTrader 8 and go to Tools → Import → NinjaScript Add-On.
Select the zip file and confirm. Restart NinjaTrader if it asks.

3. Add it to a chart

Open a chart of MNQ (recommended, see below), front month, 5 Minute bars, with at least 5 days of data loaded.
Right-click the chart → Strategies → add One Shot Trader.
Paste your key in License key and turn on I accept the License Terms and Risk Disclosure (only the first time on each computer; the strategy does not trade without it).
Choose the account: start with Sim101.
Set your risk (table below), tick Enabled and click OK.

The panel in the top-right corner of the chart should read License: active.

4. Start with MNQ

We recommend MNQ (Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100) for almost everyone, and it is what our own results use.

	MNQ	NQ
Value of 1 point	$2	$20
Largest stop that fits a $500 risk with 1 contract	250 points	25 points
Position sizing	fine steps (1, 2, 3… contracts)	all or nothing
Best for	50k–150k accounts and evaluations	large accounts with matching limits

The strategy sizes each trade from your dollar risk. With NQ, a $500 risk often cannot buy even one contract, so the strategy skips the setup. If you move to NQ later, raise the risk per trade, the daily loss limit and your platform's safety net together, and check that your prop firm's limits allow it.

5. Suggested settings

Account	Risk per trade	Max contracts	Daily loss limit	Trailing
Conservative, 50k	$250	3 MNQ	$500	0.5R
Default, 50k (the one in our results)	$500	5 MNQ	$1,000	0.5R
Larger, 100k+	$1,000	10 MNQ	$2,000	0.6R

Make sure your daily loss limit is below your prop firm's daily limit, with room to spare.

6. Before going live

Run it on Sim101 for at least a week and compare the trades with what you expected.
Keep the computer awake and connected during the trading window, or use a VPS.
Check that your prop firm allows automated strategies.

7. Add a safety net in your platform (recommended)

The strategy has its own stop on every trade and its own daily loss limit. On top of that, set a loss limit at the account level, in your trading platform. That limit is applied by the platform itself, so it can still flatten the account if breaking news makes price jump past the stop, or if your computer or NinjaTrader stops responding.

Rithmic (R|Trader Pro): File → Trader Dashboard → right-click your account → View Risk Parameters → tab "Risk Parameters set by the Trader". Turn on Auto Liquidate, set the criteria to Loss Limit, enter the threshold and click Apply. Rithmic only lets you set it below your firm's own limit.
Tradovate: open your account's Risk Settings and set a Daily Loss Limit and a Position Limit.
Prop firms: many already apply a daily limit to your account. Check what it is before choosing your settings.

Keep the numbers in this order, from smallest to largest:

Where	What to set	Example (default 50k setup)
One Shot Trader: risk per trade	the most one trade can lose	$500
One Shot Trader: daily loss limit	the strategy stops for the day	$1,000
Platform: auto-liquidate / daily loss limit	a little above the strategy's daily limit	$1,100
Prop firm: daily loss limit	the firm's own rule, the highest number	e.g. $1,250+
Platform: position limit	equal to the strategy's max contracts	5 MNQ

Why the order matters: if the platform limit is lower than what the strategy is allowed to lose (for example $500 on the platform and $1,000 in the strategy), the platform will flatten your account before the strategy's own stop is reached, and trades will close in places the strategy never planned. The platform limit is the safety net under the strategy, never in front of it.

No limit is a guarantee: in very fast markets, fills can still happen beyond any stop or limit. See the Risk Disclosure.

8. Contract rollover (every 3 months)

MNQ and NQ contracts expire every March, June, September and December. NinjaTrader only sends orders to a specific contract (for example MNQ 12-26), so the strategy does not switch months by itself. About a week before expiration, NinjaTrader shows a rollover message in the Control Center log.

Disable the strategy (or wait until it is flat).
Change the chart to the new contract (for example from MNQ 12-26 to MNQ 03-27).
Enable the strategy again. Your key and settings stay the same.

Contract	Last trading day	Switch around
MNQ / NQ 12-26	Dec 18, 2026	Dec 10, 2026
MNQ / NQ 03-27	Mar 19, 2027	Mar 11, 2027
MNQ / NQ 06-27	Jun 18, 2027	Jun 10, 2027
MNQ / NQ 09-27	Sep 17, 2027	Sep 9, 2027

Use the date NinjaTrader shows as the final reference. If you forget to switch, the strategy keeps trading the old contract, which loses volume as it gets close to expiration.

Messages in the panel

invalid key	Check for extra spaces; copy the key again from the e-mail.
already used on 2 computers	E-mail support to reset your computers.
expired	Renew your plan; the key stays the same.
server unreachable	Check the internet connection or firewall for NinjaTrader.
only NQ and MNQ	Open the chart on NQ or MNQ.

Support:

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Risk disclosure

Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. You can lose more than your initial deposit. Only trade with money you can afford to lose.

Automated trading adds its own risks: software errors, connection and power failures, data errors, slippage, and orders that execute differently from simulation.

About the results on this site

The live results come from one account over a short period (a few weeks, updated weekly). They are not a forecast. Results depend on the account, settings, market conditions, fees and execution, and yours will differ.

CFTC Rule 4.41: hypothetical performance

HYPOTHETICAL OR SIMULATED PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS. UNLIKE AN ACTUAL PERFORMANCE RECORD, SIMULATED RESULTS DO NOT REPRESENT ACTUAL TRADING. ALSO, SINCE THE TRADES HAVE NOT BEEN EXECUTED, THE RESULTS MAY HAVE UNDER- OR OVER-COMPENSATED FOR THE IMPACT, IF ANY, OF CERTAIN MARKET FACTORS, SUCH AS LACK OF LIQUIDITY. SIMULATED TRADING PROGRAMS IN GENERAL ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFITS OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN.

The backtest shown on this site was run on the same period used to tune the parameters and does not include commissions or slippage.

Prop firms

Prop firm accounts are evaluations or simulated funded accounts governed by each firm's rules. Some firms prohibit fully automated trading. Passing an evaluation does not mean money available to withdraw.

NinjaTrader® is a registered trademark of NinjaTrader Group, LLC. One Shot Trader is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by NinjaTrader.

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What we don't collect: payment data, trading account numbers, balances, positions or passwords. There is no checkout on this site yet.

Why: to send you the free guide, tell you about the launch and send occasional One Shot Trader news. We do not sell your data.

How long: until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete it.

Your rights: e-mail to access, correct or delete your data, or unsubscribe at any time.

One Shot Trader. Creator and owner: Bruno Santos.

This policy will be updated at launch to cover licenses and payments.