The beta for a transistor is listed on its datasheet. hFE is the DC current gain (beta) and hfe is the AC current gain (beta).
The beta is a range of numbers because each transistor and production run is different and changes with temperature change and with different currents.
Many inexpensive multimeters can measure the hFE at one low current.
The beta is a range of numbers because each transistor and production run is different and changes with temperature change and with different currents.
Many inexpensive multimeters can measure the hFE at one low current.