is aligned with the perforating charge such that the perforating jet exits through the prior art scallop 12 to lessen the force needed to exit the body member 10 decreasing the force needed to exit the body member 10 increases the remaining force available to penetrate deeper into the rock formation when the perforating charges are detonated the perforating jet should exit the body member 10 of the perforating gun at the center of the scallop 12 where the bottom flat section of the scallop has reduced the steel of the body member 10 to its minimum thickness the minimum thickness of the steel allows for less of the energy from the perforating jet to be used to exit the body member 10 which allows more energy to be available to penetrate into the rock formation the minimum thickness of the steel is balanced with the need to have sufficient thickness of steel to withstand the hydrostatic pressure exerted on the body member 10 along with providing for thickness variations in the original body member 10 the strength of the tubular hollow steel carrier body member 10 depends primarily upon the thickness and diameter of the carrier the greater the thickness of the body member 10 provides additional strength the smaller diameter of the body member 10 also serves to provide additional strength as the tighter.