The problem with current gain is that its "poorly characterised" - which is gobbledygook for "varies a lot between devices". So any circuit design that relies on it having a given value is a weak design. Typically you design for the minimum value of beta in the datasheet (note that it varies with current too...).
Since the variation between devices can be as big a factor as 3 or 4 IIRC, this means your current limiting would also vary greatly.