2N2222 experiment is indicating incorrect gains
Here's a snippet from the Fairchild datasheet for the 2N2222.



As you can see, the h_FE (beta) is highly variable, ranging from 35 (at low temperature) up to a maximum of 300. So, the gain you're measuring is well within limits.

This is not unusual for a BJT - the current gain of these devices varies wildly from lot-to-lot and with temperature. This is why most BJT-based amplifiers implement some type of feedback to remove the dependence on h_fe at the expense of gain.