recess 54 with contoured bottom surface 80 not only enhances the performance of shaped charges for which recess 54 is the first target but also reduces the likelihood that debris will be left in the well following perforation as such a charge carrier will contain the fragments created when the shaped charges are detonated specifically a smaller opening is made when a jet passes through recess 54 with contoured bottom surface 80 than when a jet passes through conventional recesses with recess 54 not only does the jet pass through a thinner metal section contoured bottom surface 80 is not susceptibly to the longitudinal pealing effect as the thickness of the metal behind recess 54 becomes progressive thicker in angular bottom portions 92 and 94 unlike the present invention with conventional flat bottom recesses as seen in fig6 the thickness of the metal in the longitudinal direction behind the recess is constant as such a jet penetrating a conventional flat bottom recess tends to create a large opening as the metal behind the recess peals back toward the sidewalls of the recess in some cases this longitudinal pealing effect results in an opening that is substantially as wide as the diameter of the conventional flat bottom recess in the longitudinal direction as such the fragments created when the shaped.