Testing the accuracy of resistance drilling to assess tree growth rate and the relationship to past climatic conditions

•Resistance drilling (RD) can assess mean ring width values to a comparable standard as conventional stem core analysis.•RD readings allowed the identification of pointer years at population level but could not detect event years at tree level.•The accuracy of RD for ring analysis weakened as tree ring width decreased below 1 mm and for mature/old trees.•RD can provide a chronology master series, but it may not be as robust as with a core sampling ring width series.•RD should not replace dendrochronology in climate-tree growth studies, unless RD accuracy can be improved and demonstrated.