Nikolai Slepkov, miraculously saved by doctors after being seriously injured in the spring of 1942, is recovering from an injury in his native village. Life outside the front seems alien and incomprehensible to him, and he literally runs away from his own wedding to be useful on the front line again. 

The Provost commander is not very happy about the return of a complex, poorly controlled fighter. Therefore, at the first opportunity, he sends him away from himself — to a gathering of the best snipers in the country. There, the shooters share the secrets of their skills, combat experience, discuss technical innovations, and conduct practical exercises.

 However, Moonshine again breaks out of the general order and comes up with a proposal — to apply his talents not at the training ground, but at the front. So, the best snipers of the Red Army are on the Southwestern Front, in the location of the 49th Army. They participate in supporting the offensive, inflicting enormous losses on the fascists. Moonshine goes alone to the most dangerous areas, and many snipers support his zeal. The famous shooter Semyon Valyaev is against it: he incites colleagues against Moonshine, assuring that the sniper is the elite of the troops, and he should not run ahead of the infantry, risking himself.