Martin has been around for a long time. They use to be more mainstream than they are now though. Ask any old hunting veteran about Martin and they have probably owned one. There bows are fantastic in my opinion, you just don't hear about them all that often because they don't spend a whole lot on marketing like the other major brands. I would put Martin up there with the top manufacturers today. Check out the Bengal and the Cheetah as well. Bass Pro offers a couple different packages starting around $329.00. If your on a budget look at the Jaguar it is a quiet and fun little bow to shoot. As for the firecat i have seen them new for around $549.00, and i have no idea about the slayer but i bet it's a little more than that.