Shooter tells the story of Bob Lee Swagger, a skilled marksman and the son of a Medal of Honor recipient, who lives as a loner in the Rockies after leaving the military.
He is approached by a colonel to help prevent the assassination of the President of the US in one of three cities within the next two weeks. Despite his efforts, the assassination still takes place and Bob Lee is framed as the perpetrator.
Now wounded and on the run, Bob Lee teams up with two unlikely allies to uncover the truth and seek out those who betrayed him. The trail leads back to a secret Ethiopian mission where he was previously betrayed.