A single unprotected shot?

Did everyone who fought before ear protection was standardized lose the ability to properly hear?

Yes, very much so. Sound is measured in decibels - which is on a logarithmic scale. Immediate hearing damage starts at around 120-130 dB of sound pressure. This varies slightly from person to person, but even a .22 is about 125-130 dB in volume.

Sound is wack so to just give a high level overview - Sound energy doubles every 3 dB, and sound pressure doubles every 6 dB. In other words, you don't want to fuck with it. Gunfire is LOUD.

The guy who invented the suppressor did so because he went completely deaf from shooting too much. Double up on all shooting environments.

A single unprotected shot?

Did everyone who fought before ear protection was standardized lose the ability to properly hear?

Yes, very much so. Sound is measured in decibels - which is on a logarithmic scale. Immediate hearing damage starts at around 120-130 dB of sound pressure. This varies slightly from person to person, but even a .22 is about 125-130 dB in volume.

Sound is wack so to just give a high level overview - You don't want to fuck with it. The guy who invented the suppressor did so because he went completely deaf from shooting too much. Double up on all shooting environments.