Now, I too, would go long at the bottom of the range ...even average down long and scalp out in the middle or top of the range. But I would not go long at the top of the range without a BO that had FT as 80% of BO attempts out of the top or bottom of a range FAIL and price goes back into the range.
Here is what I am talking about. 80% of BO ATTEMPTS from top or bottom of the range will usually fail and price trades back into the range within 5 bars.
So what can a trader do that understands range trading? Well you short in the top 1/3 and cover on moves down to the middle or even the bottom of the range. And in the bottom 1/3 you go long and exit taking profits on moves to the middle or even to the top. 80% is high odds.
But what do novices do? The exact opposite. They go long at the top on BO attempts. And they short at the bottom.
What do I like to do? When price is in an established range and is trading in the bottom 1/3 I am going long and averaging down long as it moves against me. Then depending on how far out of the bottom it moved against me, before heading north in my favor, I will then exit on a good move to the middle, or maybe even hold until the top of the range, or at least the top 1/3, IF it didn't trade out of the bottom when it moved against me as I was averaging down long.
What do I like to do? When price is in an established range and is trading in the top 1/3 I am going short and averaging down short as it moves against me. Then depending on how far out of the top it moved against me, before heading south in my favor, I will then cover on a good move to the middle, or maybe even hold until the bottom of the range, or at least the bottom 1/3, IF it didn't trade out of the top when it moved against me as I was averaging down short.
Don't be fooled by range behavior. The bulls and bears are pushing against each other. That is why the range forms. Bulls want a BO north. Bears want a BO south. Sooner or later one side will win. When one side wins then I like to go with the winning side for a measured move up or down that may be 2 legged or even more legs.
However, if I am say short at the top and the BO attempted succeeds what do I do? I exit my position immediately then look to double up and go in the successful BO direction. I get back my loss and then can usually make some on one or more of the BO legs. Ditto for successful BO's out of the bottom.
Ok what is an established range? What is range behavior? I distinguish between the two. Range behavior is two sided trading. A doji bar is a 1 bar trading range. Dial down to a smaller TF and you will see the range formed by the doji bar. Several bars with sideways action are range behavior. It is more risky to trade any range behavior because the behavior could just be a PB and the original trend will continue. All PB's are usually simply range behavior i.e. areas of two sided trading.
Generally speaking (there are exceptions though) I will employ the range trading techniques described above in ESTABLISHED ranges. What is an established range? It is 20 or more bars of sideways action. I start drawing the range box when I get data points to do so even before the established range is made. I want the range box to contain most of the price action and I can see BO attempts. Count the bars from the open and you will see the establish range area (20 bars). It is now ripe for range trading behavior and not PB behavior and PB trading.
Now look at the 5 min chart of Friday's 7-24-2020 MES PA. See the BO attempts fail? Both top and bottom. The red circle areas are where I would be shorting and/or averaging down short. In the top 1/3 of the range. The green circle areas are where I would be going long and/or averaging down long. In the bottom 1/3 of the range.
Novices on the other hand are going long in the red areas and shorting in the green areas. The exact opposite of what they should be doing.
So, when will I go long on a BO out of the top of a range. When those red areas (that have bars above the top of the range) hold the gap between the top of the range and the low of those bars after 5 bars have formed outside the top. Why 5 bars? Because price usually will trade back into the range within 5 bars. Look at those red and green circles and count how many bars it stayed outside the range top or bottom. So to go long at the top of a range I want to see price hold above the top of the range for more than 5 bars and I like to see a PB then a resumption north. Then I will likely see a MM up. So, if I got caught holding short on a BO north I immediately exit, wait for the PB double up and go long as price heads north. Or if strong BO with big bars I will double up and not wait for a PB. Ditto for bottom of the range just reverse the process.
P.S. 100% not 80% of BO attempts top or bottom failed ALL day in Friday's session. Try TRADING trading ranges on a SIM. Just for the fun of it and the experience gained. Notice MA's and the red T line. Easymon1 speaks of T line in a previous post. Can be used but not needed in TR ROFLMAO