The action takes place during the Great Patriotic War. The protagonist, a Siberian hunter Gavriil Sobinov, volunteers for the front after learning that his son Semyon, a young lieutenant, is missing. Gavriil wants to fights the enemy and find his son, but instead of the front lines, he finds himself in a supply platoon. He proves himself a hero in his very first combat and, after training at the sniper school, gets to the front lines. Gavriil is made commander of the sniper group. He continues the search for his son. The story of a German sniper Werner develops in parallel. He also ends up at the front with his son Dietrich fighting alongside him. A clash between the sniper fathers, whom fate is inexorably bringing together, is inevitable...