Trading 2,500 ounce silver contracts instead of 5,000 ounce

Hi, I'm a long time lurker and first time poster.

I have experience in trading ag futures and some oil. I'm looking at expanding into precious metals but don't want to jump right in with full sized contracts.

How much more illiquid are 2,500 ounce CME silver futures when compared to the full sized contracts? I've heard the spread is significantly wider.

Thanks.

 

there is silver (1000oz) futures symbol SIL from Comex
and full size contract silver futures symbol SI from Comex.

1000oz silver volume is virtually zero.

full size contract silver futures volume is quite decent.
However, I prefer trading gold futures as both are quite intercorrelated and gold has better range and volume.

 

What about QI the 2500 ounce contract.

My strategy only works for silver...

 

http://www.cmegroup.com/trading/met...ver_quotes_volume_voi.html#tradeDate=20180205
Daily trading volume: about 40 contracts. I would not call that a liquid contract.

 

I’d be very skeptical myself to a system that only works on one instrument to some overfitting of the data.

But who am I to judge. If it backtest, forward test and you feel confident, trade it.

 

Thanks for the comments guys.

@HobbyTrading thanks for the link now I know where to look in the future.

@Metamega interesting, I’d never considered that. So far I haven’t encountered any problems though admittedly the separate systems I’m using are all just slightly modified versions of the same system.